A previous member of Alleluia! has graciously given us the text of the Alleluia! Community Covenant so that we might comment and discuss the various implications of this covenant on the average member.
The Alleluia Community Covenant
JESUS IS OUR LORD!
The Lord has called us to make a solemn covenant with Him and with one another to be a people of praise. We accept the Lordship of Jesus in our lives, individually and as a people. He has destroyed our isolation and joined us together.
We commit ourselves fully subordinate to our primary covenants to marriage, celibacy and the church, as brothers and sisters in the Lord, entrusting our lives to Him and to each other in Him. We promise to build up, exhort, admonish and listen to one another; to be quick to forgive and to ask forgiveness; to assist each other in seeking His perfect will in all things.
In His joy and peace, therefore, we yield our lives to Jesus; everything past, present and future and we agree to:
1. Love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
2. Be faithful to our commitments to community prayer, fellowship and service, seeking always the vision and the growth to which the Spirit is calling us.
3. Accept responsibility for community order.
4. Foster the growth of the community by accepting responsibility for a program of Christian initiation and formation in community life.
5. Recognize the headship of the coordinators and agree to obey, correct, and pray for them.
6. Accept our financial responsibility to the community.
7. Be held to this covenant and hold one another to it.
We promise to love one another and to call each other to holiness. We believe that this is the way God has chosen for our sanctification. We willingly ask Him to use it. We regard this as a solemn and serious commitment which we enter in good conscience, freely, and in faith.
Showing posts with label Alleluia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alleluia. Show all posts
Friday, April 11, 2008
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Alleluia!
Although I have never been a member of Alleluia! I have had experience with a family from that community. In fact, it was this experience that spawned my research into covenant communities and, thus, helped form this blog. We are thousands of miles from Augusta, Georgia and this poor family is a fish out of water as they adjust to life in the "real" world. They left unwillingly for employment reasons and are still full members of the community. I know the mother would like to return.
I would like to comment on this idea of codependence that a former Alleluia! member addressed in a comment on this blog for that is what I experienced with this family. I was, essentially, a covenant community substitute when they moved in. As I didn't know what I was dealing with and I was trying to be a good neighbor and help them to adjust, I found myself called upon again and again to do things for them. The normal boundaries between neighbors did not exist. Unfortunately, when I finally had to address the problem with them the relationship was over. I do hope, however, that the mom is adjusting to life outside of the community. I know her children want no part of that community life again and are enjoying the liberation attained by their move.
The thinking of this community pervades their thoughts and language still. A mutual friend (female) who works with the father in the RCIA program called me trying to understand the father's comments to her when she asked his opinion on a theological aspect of the RCIA formation they were teaching. He said that he could not answer her as did not want to interfere with her spiritual relationship with her husband. I could not at first understand this comment but it dawned on me that he thought she and her husband had a (or should have a) headship relationship and that her husband was her ONLY spiritual advisor and no one could substitute or augment that. This happened just a few months ago which was 2 years after their move here. So this strange thinking continues AND it seems that this community member believes we should all have that same headship relationship in any good Catholic family. Hooey!
Let us pray that their experience outside the community will open their eyes to the Truth of this community way of living. It is not liberating. It is not Truth.
I would like to comment on this idea of codependence that a former Alleluia! member addressed in a comment on this blog for that is what I experienced with this family. I was, essentially, a covenant community substitute when they moved in. As I didn't know what I was dealing with and I was trying to be a good neighbor and help them to adjust, I found myself called upon again and again to do things for them. The normal boundaries between neighbors did not exist. Unfortunately, when I finally had to address the problem with them the relationship was over. I do hope, however, that the mom is adjusting to life outside of the community. I know her children want no part of that community life again and are enjoying the liberation attained by their move.
The thinking of this community pervades their thoughts and language still. A mutual friend (female) who works with the father in the RCIA program called me trying to understand the father's comments to her when she asked his opinion on a theological aspect of the RCIA formation they were teaching. He said that he could not answer her as did not want to interfere with her spiritual relationship with her husband. I could not at first understand this comment but it dawned on me that he thought she and her husband had a (or should have a) headship relationship and that her husband was her ONLY spiritual advisor and no one could substitute or augment that. This happened just a few months ago which was 2 years after their move here. So this strange thinking continues AND it seems that this community member believes we should all have that same headship relationship in any good Catholic family. Hooey!
Let us pray that their experience outside the community will open their eyes to the Truth of this community way of living. It is not liberating. It is not Truth.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
What is a Covenant Community?
A covenant community is a religious group whose members bind themselves to one another and to the group by a solemn agreement called a covenant.
The group may be members of one religious faith, e.g., Roman Catholic or Episcopalian or the group may be diverse in religious affiliations.
Usually, members maintain affiliation in their own Church or denomination while also belonging to the covenant community.
While an individual normally belongs to other groups outside his parish or congregation, e.g., Knights of Columbus, Right to Life, United Religious Community. etc., the covenant community claims to be the central commitment of the individual supplanting the relationship which already exists with one's Church or denomination.
Covenant communities have their own ecclesiatical structure, rituals, rights of passage, mores for prescriptive and proscriptive behavior, identified roles for each individual, a common understanding of language within the group, a "consciousness of kind" and a "we / they" mentality. Sometimes members live in "common" either in the group as a whole or in individual households. Households in this context, are often composed of a group of singles, a married couple with their family and some singles or a number of families. Everyone has someone to whom they are personally submitted in all aspects of one's life. Women usually hold a subordinate role and are rarely leaders. An exception to this was the Mother of God Community in the DC area which was founded and led by two women. This group was disbanded by the local Catholic bishop. In this case, the local bishop had the authority to do this as the group claimed to be Roman Catholic. Ecumenical groups recognize no such authority except within their own groups.
The Covenant Community movement began in the late 1960's and early 1970's with the founding of The Word of God Community in Ann Arbor, Michigan, True House Community and the People of Praise in South Bend, Indiana. Related communities grew up in Newark, Augusta, Minneapolis, Pittsburg, Phoenix, LA, Honolulu, San Francisco, and several other places. There were some communities not related to this tradition founded in Dallas and Cincinnati.
They took their inspiration and many of their ideas and practices from the Church of the Redeemer (an Episcopal Parish) in Houston and from the Gulf Coast Fellowship (non-denominational), which introduced the ideas of shepherding and discipleship.
The impetus and key to the original success to these groups was the Charismatic Renewal. Not all individuals who were or are part of the Charismatic Renewal, however, were drawn into covenant communities. Originally, the founders of The Word of God and the People of Praise tried to use the Cursillo Movement as a basis. This was not successful. When the Charismatic Renewal came about, the opportunity arose for the Renewal to supply the needed individuals for the formation of the major covenant communities. Charismatics were looking for a way to live out a more charismatic Christian life.
The Charismatic Renewal itself is a movement marked by experiential and enthusiastic approach to the faith, manifestations of Charismatic spiritual gifts (tongues, healing, prophesy, etc.), prayer groups where prayer is often personal and spontaneous. Popes Paul VI and John Paul II have recognized the Charismatic Renewal as an authentic enrichment of the Church's life. Initiation into the Charismatic Renewal for individuals was often through Life in the Spirit Seminars which culminated in being "Baptized in the Holy Spirit". Another name for the Charismatic Renewal is "Catholic Pentecostalism".
As Covenant Communities developed, various problems emerged:
1. Authoritarian self-appointed leadership;
2. Excessive control of individual's lives and consciences;
3. Elitism and an attitude of superiority with respect to "ordinary" Christians;
4. Subservient role of women;
5. Devaluation of Church hierarchy and sacraments;
6. Financial exploitation;
7. In some cases sexual inappropriateness and arranged marriages.
These problems have been addressed in a variety of places: National Catholic Register, National Catholic Reporter, Washington Post, Cultic Studies Journal.
The group may be members of one religious faith, e.g., Roman Catholic or Episcopalian or the group may be diverse in religious affiliations.
Usually, members maintain affiliation in their own Church or denomination while also belonging to the covenant community.
While an individual normally belongs to other groups outside his parish or congregation, e.g., Knights of Columbus, Right to Life, United Religious Community. etc., the covenant community claims to be the central commitment of the individual supplanting the relationship which already exists with one's Church or denomination.
Covenant communities have their own ecclesiatical structure, rituals, rights of passage, mores for prescriptive and proscriptive behavior, identified roles for each individual, a common understanding of language within the group, a "consciousness of kind" and a "we / they" mentality. Sometimes members live in "common" either in the group as a whole or in individual households. Households in this context, are often composed of a group of singles, a married couple with their family and some singles or a number of families. Everyone has someone to whom they are personally submitted in all aspects of one's life. Women usually hold a subordinate role and are rarely leaders. An exception to this was the Mother of God Community in the DC area which was founded and led by two women. This group was disbanded by the local Catholic bishop. In this case, the local bishop had the authority to do this as the group claimed to be Roman Catholic. Ecumenical groups recognize no such authority except within their own groups.
The Covenant Community movement began in the late 1960's and early 1970's with the founding of The Word of God Community in Ann Arbor, Michigan, True House Community and the People of Praise in South Bend, Indiana. Related communities grew up in Newark, Augusta, Minneapolis, Pittsburg, Phoenix, LA, Honolulu, San Francisco, and several other places. There were some communities not related to this tradition founded in Dallas and Cincinnati.
They took their inspiration and many of their ideas and practices from the Church of the Redeemer (an Episcopal Parish) in Houston and from the Gulf Coast Fellowship (non-denominational), which introduced the ideas of shepherding and discipleship.
The impetus and key to the original success to these groups was the Charismatic Renewal. Not all individuals who were or are part of the Charismatic Renewal, however, were drawn into covenant communities. Originally, the founders of The Word of God and the People of Praise tried to use the Cursillo Movement as a basis. This was not successful. When the Charismatic Renewal came about, the opportunity arose for the Renewal to supply the needed individuals for the formation of the major covenant communities. Charismatics were looking for a way to live out a more charismatic Christian life.
The Charismatic Renewal itself is a movement marked by experiential and enthusiastic approach to the faith, manifestations of Charismatic spiritual gifts (tongues, healing, prophesy, etc.), prayer groups where prayer is often personal and spontaneous. Popes Paul VI and John Paul II have recognized the Charismatic Renewal as an authentic enrichment of the Church's life. Initiation into the Charismatic Renewal for individuals was often through Life in the Spirit Seminars which culminated in being "Baptized in the Holy Spirit". Another name for the Charismatic Renewal is "Catholic Pentecostalism".
As Covenant Communities developed, various problems emerged:
1. Authoritarian self-appointed leadership;
2. Excessive control of individual's lives and consciences;
3. Elitism and an attitude of superiority with respect to "ordinary" Christians;
4. Subservient role of women;
5. Devaluation of Church hierarchy and sacraments;
6. Financial exploitation;
7. In some cases sexual inappropriateness and arranged marriages.
These problems have been addressed in a variety of places: National Catholic Register, National Catholic Reporter, Washington Post, Cultic Studies Journal.
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