Community Covenant: Israel/Palestine Travel Study Conference

(adapted from "Litany for Peacemaking Among Disciples" based on Guidelines for Presbyterians During Times of Disagreement from Sacraments and Seasons: Peacemaking Through Worship III)

One: Conscious of God's gift of community, we will seek peace and pursue it among ourselves and with others.

All: As we pray, listen and learn together, we will practice peacemaking in what we say and do. We will be a peaceful presence in the world.

One: Each of us is on a journey, growing in faithfulness, witnessing to the mercy and love granted to us by God through Jesus Christ. Jesus has called us to be disciples as we seek to be faithful to God's will.

All: In a spirit of love and trust, we, as a particular expression of the church of Jesus Christ in the world, promise to be guided by the following practices:

One: We will strive to treat each other and all people we meet respectfully because we desire to be faithful witnesses to Jesus Christ.

All: In a spirit of love and trust, and with God's help, we will.

One: In times when we are faced with conflict and high convictions, we will work to learn about various positions on the topic of disagreement.

All: In a spirit of love and trust, and with God's help, we will.

One: In times when it is most difficult to listen, we will strive to state what we think we heard and ask for clarification before responding in an effort to be sure that we understand each other.

All: In a spirit of love and trust, and with God's help, we will.

One: We commit ourselves to share our concerns directly with individuals or groups with whom we disagree in a spirit of love and respect.

All: We pray for God's guidance.

One: We commit ourselves to focus on ideas and suggestions instead of questioning people's motives, intelligence, and integrity.

All: We pray for God's guidance.

One: Knowing ourselves to be the loved creatures of a loving Creator, we commit ourselves to share our personal experiences about the subject of disagreement so that others may fully understand our concerns.

All: We pray for God's guidance.

One: Guided by the scriptural admonition to uphold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, we will indicate where we agree with those of other viewpoints as well as where we disagree.

All: In hope and joy.

One: Because we value the bond of our common baptism, we will seek to stay in community with each other though the conversation may be vigorous and full of tension. We will extend this community to others we meet.

All: In hope and joy.

One: With constancy and faith, we will include our disagreement in our prayers, not praying for the triumph of our view points, but seeking God's grace to listen attentively, to speak clearly, and to remain open to the vision God holds for us all.

All: In peace, we covenant together. Amen. May it be so.