Keeping Covenant

All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. – Psalm 25:10 (NRSV) 

Earlier in the old church, stories of the ancestors were shared in all their grace and complication. Now the light is slanting through the windows, and the only sound is your own breath. But you are not alone. The ancestors are still present, all around you.  

Wipe down the kitchen counters and take a bag of garbage out to the bin. But first, pause. Remember that with these same invisible, invaluable tasks, many generations have assured that this sacred space is kept tidy and prepared.   

Turn off the lights in the hall. But first, look. On the wall there’s a fuzzy, old, black-and-white photo of a Sunday school class gathered on the church steps. Notice a girl in a frilly dress is making another child giggle. Or is she crying? The photo is too blurry to tell. Remember that they also wept and laughed here.  

Slide the sanctuary doors firmly closed. But first, listen. Hear their voices. They also sang and preached and agreed to disagree here.  

As you let yourself out into the crisp late-afternoon sun, pause again by the cemetery gate. Feel, look, listen.  

Too often you think you must create how to Be Church from scratch. You rush around inventing programs and projects as if you invented the very idea of programs and projects. But today, stop. Pay attention.  

They are here. Here to uplift and correct and watch over and pull forward. Here to tell you that in the small chores, the big feelings and every single word, you are keeping covenant with them, as they do with you. 

Prayer
God, thank you for the steadfast love and faithfulness of our ancestors, with us still. Amen.

About the Author
Rev. Jennifer Garrison (formerly Brownell) is a writer, spiritual director and pastor living in the Pacific Northwest. Her published work most recently appeared in the book The Words of Her Mouth: Psalms for the Struggle, available from The Pilgrim Press.