I haven’t had much time to really think and write lately. Yet, I wanted to jot something about where my thoughts have been.

Last night at our group meeting, we read our Community Covenant. It’s a covenant that we pieced together from various sources that tries to capture our personal and corporate intentions to follow Jesus. Here’s what we read every night as we light our Trinity Candles:

“We come together as Jesus’ friends, students and representatives determined to live his goals for our lives. We intend to become by grace what Christ is by nature through a life-giving daily rhythm of spiritual exercises. We intend to share in Christ’s life and each others’ lives through a community of prayerful love. We intend to live constant lives of creative goodness that embody, demonstrate and announce God’s fullness and kingdom as we follow Christ into our world. We do these things in full dependence upon and cooperation with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit so that our lives, whether together or apart, would become God’s transforming presence on earth.”

Our covenant reminds me of Psalm 31:3, “For the sake of your name lead and guide me.” “For the sake of your name…” Ultimately, that’s why we’re living. We’re not following Jesus for the goal of personal blessing or inner peace or outward success. It’s not about us! How easy it can be for our most noble efforts can be thwarted by our self-centeredness, especially as we focus on our personal efforts in this cooperative endeavor. But our efforts are only effective as they merge with the abundant grace of God.

For the sake of your name we engage in spiritual formation.

For the sake of your name we build loving community.

For the sake of your name we embody God in the world.

For the sake of your name we live in your grace.