Covenant Glue

One of my favorite Scriptures is Ephesians 4:3: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (NIV). When I was a new believer at the age of 16, this verse captured my heart. Against the backdrop of the racial and class divisions that were palpable in my community, this small text stood out as a powerful illustration of God’s heart and intent for God’s people.

Having not grown up in church, I felt no affinity with any denomination, and for many years this verse was what kept me from aligning myself with one. To my 16-year-old mind, denominations were the exact opposite of making “every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit.” I understood why Protestants felt the need to break away from the Catholics, but I could not be convinced that there was any good reason for the seemingly endless varieties of Methodist, Baptist, and “non-denominational” denominations I kept hearing about.

What about the unity of the Spirit?! That was the cry of my heart.

But in a twist that could only be orchestrated by the Holy Spirit, the same verse that led me to shun denominations ended up being what helped me find a home in the Evangelical Covenant Church.

The affirmations of the Covenant are rooted in a desire to do exactly what Paul admonishes the church at Ephesus to do. Our affirmations unite us to each other and to the histories and traditions that have shaped us. They mark us as a people submitted to the authority of Scripture (apostolic). They remind us that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are a part of the universal fellowship of believers (catholic). Most important, at this critical moment where the Church is facing deep division and polarization, our affirmations can serve as a common language and a shared commitment that will spur our earnest efforts “to protect the unity of the Spirit through the bonds of peace.”