Couples need to choose love that is faithful and rooted in Divine mystery.
Covenant is God’s language of love. It is a promise — that two shall become one.
It is a choice. A binding of two hearts. Choosing one another. Committing to each other. Sealed. Sealed in covenant with the Almighty.
Covenants are sacred. To be witnessed. To be withheld. To bless. To enrich. To become something greater than oneself.
Marriage is a covenant —a holy pattern. Two lives. Two hearts. Two souls stepping into a promise far greater and far deeper than anything else on earth.
Covenant is an invitation to walk with God: to love with compassion, to honor with tenderness, to respect with kindness, to walk together in unity.
I will be your God, and you will be my people.
Leviticus 26:12
Image Credit: “All For One” by jeff golden is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Love is more than emotion. It is a promise. It is a choice. It is a covenant.
Scripture shows us that God’s love is agape love — selfless, unconditional, transcendent. It stretches beyond time and space. It is Divine.
When we look at love through the eyes of the Divine, we see it as: A gift to be given. A tool for healing. A way of lifting the world.
It is love extended without expectation, love offered simply because it is who we are called to be.
A covenant is a promise — a sacred vow with God at the center. People. Nations. Relationships.
Religion can weigh a person down. Rules. Doctrine. Confusion.
A relationship with the Divine is different. It’s a covenant. It’s a promise. It’s a daily walk. With God.
It’s trying to see life through His eyes. His lens. His perfection.
We begin this series with covenant. Then we will turn to rings—those beautiful, round circles that have no end, reminding us that love, at its truest, is meant to endure.
As we continue this journey, may these reflections prepare your heart for the sacredness of a vow— a person, a promise, a love that lasts.
“Unity candle” by Just Taken Pics is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
On the Sabbath- we are reminded that we are not human doings, but human beings.
Rob Bell
Most people would agree that rest and rejuvenation are necessary for self-care. We need to be our best so we can take care of ourselves and others. This makes sense. Do you agree?
Then, we can stretch this out to theorize that spending time in nature allows us to nourish our souls so we can rest in creation. Today, we continue the theme of rest, specifically, Sabbath rest.
Rest on the Seventh Day
In the Story of Creation, we learn that God created the heavens, the earth, and everything in between. God created one day each week solely to rest. God made a point of distinguishing one day from all the others. This speaks volumes. God provided the seventh day to rest. To give us permission to take a break from everyday life. In other words, to stop and smell the roses.
Photo Credit: Arkansas Rose by Ruth Walton, iPhone
Action: Set aside one day a week to unplug from work and technology.
Through rest, we can sense God’s love and connection. A mind, body, and soul connection.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. – Exodus 20:8-11
Keep the Sabbath Holy
In this scripture, God commands us to keep the Sabbath day holy. What does holy mean? On www.myjewishlearning.com, “Holiness is imparted and maintained through ritual, prayer, formal declaration, and the avoidance of specific “abominations.”” In Britt Mooney’s What Does it Really Mean to be Holy, on chrisitanity.com, “Holy refers to something or someone set apart or consecrated for a specific purpose.”
Holy appears throughout the Bible to describe God’s nature, attributes, actions, and expectations of us.
If we believe that God is holy and is set apart from worldly things, we accept that God is the source of truth and love. These earthly things are temporary. They get in the way of our relationship to nature and to God. The solitude of nature heals us from the brokenness of ourselves and the world.
Sabbath, What is the Big Deal?
This sacred time holds profound historical and spiritual significance, particularly, yet not limited, to Judaism. In Judaism, it is a sign of the covenant between God and the Jewish people. It symbolizes freedom and divine protection to the Israelites by God.
Jewish people all over the world observe the Sabbath. It begins at sundown on Fridays with lighting candles, reciting blessings, and sharing a meal. It concludes at sundown the following evening. This practice of the Sabbath has unified the Jewish people into who they are today.
Reflect on the Present
The Sabbath allows us to rest, reflect, and renew—a sort of balance to all the craziness we experience otherwise. Observing that one day of the week is different from the rest helps us honor time itself. The mundane is set aside for the sacred.
How do you currently spend your weekends? What activities help you feel rested and renewed? How can you create a Sabbath-like rest in your weekly routine?
Sabbath also fosters a sense of community and family bonding. In Kendra Cherry, MSEd’s recent article How to Increase Your Sense of Belonging in VeryWell, she writes, “Our need to belong is what drives us to seek out stable, long-lasting relationships with other people.”
Action: Set aside time each week to spend with family. Create a better sense of belonging by calling and texting family on a regular basis.
The Sabbath’s blend of historical roots and spiritual depth makes it a cornerstone of Jewish life. It offers a weekly reminder of faith, freedom, and community. Honoring the Sabbath connects you to God, self, family, and community. In Sabbath rest, we can unplug technology and focus on what truly matters. What type of Sabbath rest are you seeking?
Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world. Each year, it celebrates its diversity by acknowledging the integration of migrants into its community. It supports the value of unity.
Belonging
What I love about this event is that it draws attention to how important the sense of belonging is to all of us. How do we as a society foster belonging? Let’s start with empathy and compassion. Then, we can throw in honor and respect for good measure. We must work on ourselves first to move forward as individuals, families, communities, and nations. Mindfulness, reading self-help resources, and engaging with others can help us become comfortable in our skin. Build up tolerance. Learn the tools to communicate effectively. Practice acceptance. Once you have done the introspective work, lean into your strengths and identify your weak spots. Know what they are. So you can work on becoming a safe person. A person who receives others without judgment.
Building Bridges
Building a sense of belonging requires effort and, thus, action. Belonging doesn’t just happen. Yet, you can make it happen by being the honey bears want. Draw people toward yourself, don’t push them away. Focus on others and practice active listening. Try new things. Do something different. Get out of your comfort zone.
Concentrate on what you have in common with others. Not what you might differ on. Build bridges with an attitude of acceptance. Validate yourself and validate others.
Respect
You, my friend, are a child of the Almighty God. Yes, you are. Shouldn’t you respect yourself and others if God created and respects you? We can choose to be optimistic and forgiving or miserable and bitter. Remember, if you want to have a sense of belonging, you need to accept others so they feel like they belong. In so doing, we build communities where diversity is valued and differences are embraced.
I and Thou Reflections 