Evangelical Covenant Church

The Evangelical Covenant Church believes that God created sacraments and rituals to communicate with and express truths to the church. It allows considerable latitude in its observance of baptism: both infant and adult baptism are left to the discretion of its members. Communion is observed monthly and during key events in the Christian year.

Rituals are commonplace in life, not the exception. The ordinariness of ritual may account in part for the thought that they only occur in special places, such as churches, lodges, and military establishments, and at special times, such as weddings, funerals, initiations, and trooping of the colors. Mealtimes have rituals: grace before eating, perhaps as hands are held; conversations that tend to center around the same questions; and observation of proper etiquette. Children are sent off to school ritualistically with gestures of affection and a wave (a form of blessing, no doubt). Bedtime has its rituals involving words and gestures. Farewell celebrations are rituals. They provide more than a way of saying good-bye. People are thanked. Stories of the relationship are told. Gifts are presented. And perhaps most significant, relationships change and people make transitions to new patterns of life without feeling that others have been ignored and abandoned. Ritual legitimates the separation and gives "?permission?" for the new life to be lived and for new relationships to be formed. Rituals belong to the life of the people of God because people require rituals in order to get on with life. The entire range of human emotion—humor and anger, hello and good-bye, tears and laughter, birth and death—are given a perspective by ritualizing them. Perspective is given because rituals not only conserve but convey a tradition. By preserving certain words and actions and perpetuating them (e.g., the actions at Holy Communion: taking bread, giving thanks, breaking and distributing it; intoning the words "?Do this … in remembrance of me?"), the church provides a context for all of the experiences and emotions of human life. The celebration of Holy Communion takes on a different meaning at a wedding than at a funeral. At the former, the union of man and woman is likened to the union of the bride of Christ (the church) with the heavenly bridegroom (Christ). At a funeral, the same words and actions call to mind the marriage supper of the Lamb when all of the people of God will be gathered together once again. The Evangelical Covenant Church recognized early on that God uses symbols and forms to communicate with people. In a document published in 1900, the Committee on Ritual cited both the divine and human use of ritualistic and symbolic actions. From the divine side, it is seen that God did not give an abstract theoretical system for human salvation but rather "?perceivable means,?" i.e., word and sacrament—along with words, forms, and actions having origins in both Testaments—to conserve and convey God's presence to and for persons. A human is a "?spiritual-physical being?" who has "?continual interaction between body and soul.?" Thus, "?even purely spiritual impressions and thoughts find their way to our inner life only through the cooperation of the senses.?" Hence, both impressions and expressions do not circumvent the senses, forms, rituals, and symbolic actions. Both God and persons are ritual-creating and symbol-producing beings (Covenant Book of Worship [Chicago: Covenant Press, 1964], xiii–xxvi). That in mind, Covenant pastors have had a book of worship since 1900 as well. It, along with the books published subsequently, conserve and convey a growing tradition. The framers of these books, knowing humans have an "?eyegate?" and "?eargate,?" have not been reluctant to let the body of ritual acts grow as ways are found to relate the creating and redeeming work of God to more and more life situations, making perceivable means of God's care available to all. The Evangelical Covenant Church, oriented to the language of sacraments rather than ordinances, provides both infant baptism and a service of the presentation of children. Congregants, according to their interpretation of Scripture, are free to receive either rite, although by tradition the Covenant Church, given its Lutheran heritage, has tended to practice the baptism of infants. Two services of baptism are provided: one for infants and another for confessing believers. Parents whose interpretation of Scripture conflicts with the baptism of infants choose a service of the presentation of children, often called a service of dedication in other traditions. The presentations of Samuel and Jesus are cited as biblical models in the rubrics. It is also noted that this is not an alternative to baptism or a substitute for it, but rather is an anticipation of baptism. Covenant clergy sign a statement at their ordination in which they promise to officiate the rites of both baptism and the presentation of children despite personal convictions. He or she also agrees to recognize infant baptism as a true baptism that is not a mere prelude to adult baptism; at the same time, he or she is to respect those who support adult baptism. Finally, it is the pastor's responsibility to protect the minority view of the congregation on this issue so that the freedom enjoyed by Covenanters is not compromised (see "?The Position of the Evangelical Covenant Church on the Practice of Baptism,?" which was adopted as a policy statement in 1966). The Covenant Church understands that there is one baptism, that the minister who performs the rite does not act as an individual, and that ultimately the act of baptism is the action of Christ. Hence the pastor acts representatively and is the servant of the whole congregation, not just a segment of it. The Covenant Book of Worship of 1981 includes a service of the Affirmation of the Baptismal Covenant. It is intended to serve persons in three different situations: (1) persons who have experienced spiritual renewal and desire a public witness to the same; (2) people returning to the church after a lapse in commitment; and (3) people whose discipline by the church has come to an end. Rebaptism is offered by the Covenant Church so that the one baptism may be renewed, not repeated, and so that believers have a way of demonstrating publicly by means of ritual the passages in their spiritual life. Confirmation is also a rite in the Evangelical Covenant Church. It consists of instruction in Bible, church history, and the catechism. According to the rubrics, confirmation underscores the purposes of infant baptism. For those presented for blessing and dedication in infancy, it is intended to lead to baptism. Interestingly, the rubric also says that "?when young people come to the day of confirmation without an evident profession of personal commitment, their faith is confirmed as far as it has grown.?" The rubric also gives the confirmand the right to silence on any of the questions eliciting a vow. The service concludes with prayers and the laying on of hands, either by the pastors, deacons, or parents. Allowance for silence is in part related to the fact that confirmation does not lead automatically to church membership. That is a separate process whereby each person bears witness to his or her personal faith before the diaconate, and upon their recommendation, the congregation votes on each candidate. The Covenant Book of Worship provides a service of public reception into the congregation, including vows to each other by the new members and the receiving body. Covenant Churches generally celebrate the sacrament of the Lord's Supper monthly. Congregations might also celebrate the sacrament on Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Thanksgiving, and other selected days. Two orders are provided for the sacrament. One might be called the "?warrant form,?" since it is without narrative and makes the words of institution the heart of the service. It does include a prayer of consecration over the gifts and the confession of the Apostles' Creed. The alternative order might be called a "?narrative form?" and has three sections: creation, redemption, and the work of the Holy Spirit. The words of institution take their place in the narrative in the section on redemption. No prayer of consecration is included because the narrative form is itself the prayer. Both services provide for the congregation to sing the Agnus Dei ("?Lamb of God?") and the Acclamation ("?Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again?"). This service also provides for singing the praise from Isaiah 6, "?Holy, Holy, Holy …?" (the Sanctus). This service is rich in allusions to the paschal theme of the Hebrew Bible, the presence of Jesus with his church now as he was with the Emmaus pilgrims in Luke 24, and the hope of the feast to come in the kingdom. Both services provide prayer for the commemoration of those who have died since the last celebration of the sacrament, bringing to mind the communion of saints that transcends time and place. The narrative, while ancient in ecclesiastical tradition, is basically new to the Covenant Church and is included in the 1981 Covenant Book of Worship. It is also published in the hymnal so that it can be celebrated with full congregational participation. While the Covenant Book of Worship contains the tradition, words, and actions for other customary rites—weddings, funerals, dedication of buildings, laying of the cornerstone, the adoption of a child, the blessing of a civil marriage, etc.—it also contains the rites for the denomination's liturgical acts. These include the ordination of pastors, the consecration of missionaries, the installation of conference superintendents, and the commissioning of educators. With this book local congregations also have use of a service to consecrate lay workers. While this particular service may be oriented to those serving in official capacities, it could be adapted to wider use for other mission tasks undertaken by members of the congregation. Those with specific needs are provided a service of healing together with anointing with oil and the laying on of hands, both by pastors and significant laypeople. Earlier in this article, it was said that rituals are added as the church finds new needs to address and new ways of attending to the "?continued interaction between body and soul.?" The "?cooperation of the senses?" is required if the depth of human consciousness is to be reached with God's grace and promise. Perceivable means, i.e., ritual words and acts, are needed to address the needs of people hurt by abuse, those wounded by various kinds of separations, and those coping with enormous losses. Ritual allows for the public address of needs, for legitimating the need for them to be addressed by the church so that people are not denied the perceivable means by which they can both be impressed by the gospel and express praise for the gospel that makes all things new.