I am older than dirt and things have changed quite a bit since I was a kid. Back then we didn’t have BFF’s. At least that wasn’t what we called them. We had best friends or besties. These friendships often changed over time as we grew older. As we progressed in school our classmates changed and we developed new friendships along with the old.
A very few of these friends we wanted to be even closer to us. We wanted to bind our relationships together. We wanted the other person to understand that this particular friendship was going to last forever. We were sure that this person was closer to us than anyone in our own family. So we made a pact. We promised one another to be best friends forever (BFF’s) and then we sealed the deal. We became blood brothers. (Even if we were becoming sisters.) This wasn’t just a phrase we used. We cut our hands or wrists and pressed them together! In our 12 year old world this was one of the most serious commitments of our lives.
In the adult world this is known as a blood covenant. In ancient times animals were usually used to “cut” the deal. They were literally cut into halves. People would walk between the halves or stand between them to swear their oaths. Part of their oath would include words to indicate that if they broke their promise, they would die. These oaths were taken between individuals as well as larger groups. A blood covenant was the most serious commitment possible.
Pastor Ann is going to speak with us about blood covenants with God this Sunday. Think for a moment about how serious a promise like this would be.
We are excited to be moving indoors again. We will be having 2 services. The 9:00 a.m. service still has seating available, but we are nearing capacity for the 10:40 service. If you would like to visit us, please consider the earlier service time. We are asking everyone to wear masks and maintain social distancing. We will be livestreaming the 10:40 at 11:00 a.m. on Facebook as well as posting it later in the day on YouTube, just in case you are not ready for re-entry into society yet.
We look forward to connecting with you soon. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out via phone, Facebook or on our website www.covenazarene.org and we will do our best to respond quickly!