Why Should We Be So Afraid to Say Good-Bye?
Discussing the subject of covenant among some circles can raise some highly sensitive emotions. Noticing that people are particularly aware of their opinions about covenants does not require much more than an ear. So, it is with a keen sense of consciousness that I approach this topic.
More and more, the subject of covenant comes up, especially as people are questioning the methods and traditions of some organizations such as The Salvation Army. I would like the opportunity to give my opinion and ask some questions as an attempt to relieve any pressure based solely on misinformation, ignorance, propaganda, or any other form of misunderstanding.
When we speak of covenant, most people, especially in religious circles, think of promises made to God, which are to be kept for life. The Salvation Army also asks its soldiers and officers to sign a covenant between The Salvation Army and the individual, with the understanding that this covenant is made in the presence of God. Some also suggest that the covenant is made between three participants—The Salvation Army, the individual, and God himself.
In biblical times a covenant was made between two participants, usually nations. The smaller nation was known as the vassal. The stronger nation was known as the suzerain. The vassal would go to the suzerain and propose a covenant, whereby the vassal would pay taxes and serve as a subordinate to the suzerain in exchange for military protection. Should the vassal break the covenant; there would be a penalty, which would include loss of the promised military protection. It was during the time that the covenant was being made that the penalties were set.
In the cases where people made covenants with God, they may lose their lives, such as the 3000 who died at Mount Sinai after making golden idols, or they may lose opportunities, such as Moses’ losing the privilege to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land.
In any covenant, the stipulations and penalties are preset, even in a denominational covenant. In the case of the covenant made with The Salvation Army for a soldier or officer, the covenants vary, but the penalty is somewhat similar. The covenant is a life-promise, with the expectation that a soldier or officer will remain faithful to The Army until death. Here is where things get confusing.
My question falls in the category of why we get so uptight when someone breaks this covenant. The covenant is a life-promise of which the covenantal terms state that the vassal will remain a soldier or officer of The Salvation Army until death. If the vassal breaks the covenant, then what happens to the vassal? Does he or she go to hell? Does he or she become separated eternally from God? What is so awful about breaking a covenant that has the penalty set at losing one’s officership or soldiership? That’s what it boils down to.
There was no agreement that, upon covenantal severance, the vassal would be giving up salvation or anything more than a formal denominational affiliation. I’d really like to know what all the fuss is about. When did the covenant with a denomination become this unbreakable, except by pain of shame equal to giving up salvation from God, get added to the penalty clause?
Before anyone goes off half-cocked, allow me to explain that I don’t ask these questions with a tone of arrogance, but with a genuine desire to find out why there is so much danger in saying, “I can no longer pay tribute to the suzerain.”
Lastly, I want to make sure that everyone is aware of my intentions in raising this sensitive issue. My intention is “not” to justify my own desires to depart from the protection of my suzerain, but to glean some truly insightful answers that I may be able to share with those who struggle with the guilt of departure, those who may be considering departure, and those may may consider covenantal severance with thier denomination in the future.
Again, I am safe and sound, satisfied and settled, and proud and positive to be the vassal of God and the suzerain, that is The Salvation Army.
Forever learning,Johnny
8 comments:
I think this was a great post. Very well written. I think many folks within the Salvation Army have a passion for it as they would their high school or college alma mater.
I use the SA as my example because that is all I know. I am extremely proud of my high school alma mater and find that I try to uphold the ideals of that place. I get so frustrated at my newphew, who recently graduated form the same school, who doesn't seem to uphold the same ideals. He seems to have fallen away from it.
Am I more concerned that he may make the school look bad than what he may have going on in his life? Probably so.
I think it is our nature to be part of something great. When folks seem to dismiss or reject it, we feel we need to defend it. Maybe we fear that if someone turns away, it won't be so great... then maybe we won't be so great. I think it all comes down to self worth and issues with.
Sorry... I have babbled on. Johnny, I connect with you on this issue. Maybe because of the obvious. Anyway... great thoughts!
Great insight Wayne. Thanks for giving a good outside example.
The point of us being afraid that the something we highly value will be diminished by the loss of value by someone else brings up some great food for thought.
Grace and peace...
You always have such wise things to say, I'm proud to be your friend
something i've thought about on many occasions.
to b perfectly honest, i struggle greatly with the concept that when i became a soldier of the salvation army, i made a "promise until death" [to not only the salvation army, but to God] that i would serve him through only this denomination for the rest of my life.
maybe that should have been explained better to the 14 year old me during my soldiership classes.....luckily, though, i can still recite the doctrines.
understanding the way covenants worked in biblical times does bring an amount of clarity to this situation. i have found myself wondering [often] why it is that t.s.a. can insert itself into a "covenant" relationship between a person and his creator.
i may choose to travel on the weekends. i may not wear my uniform while i struggle with knowing God's place for me. i may even ::gasp:: give my tithe at another church when i visit. does this make me a deserter? perhaps. through the eyes of a suzerain, this vassal is not holding her end of the bargain, right?
but the ideal of serving others in real and practical ways through the love of Christ is something that dwells deep in my heart, along with a passionate desire for t.s.a. to reach the lost in places where God has clearly opened the doors for our ministry and aid. i work for the army, meaning, i live and breathe the army about half of the year and way too many hours a week. so....am i still a deserter?
johnny, i'm glad you posted about this. goodness, everyone knows that i will "pick fights" with people [politics or whatever] just for the sake of starting a dialogue about subjects that matter greatly but no one is willing to discuss, whether out of fear of offending someone or learning that a subject may not be as black and white as one may have thought. dave would be the first to tell you that i'm always up for having an intelligent and informed conversation with someone who disagrees with me completely. IT MAKES ME LEARN.....why i believe, what i believe...and the same of others.
so let's talk about this. i'd like for someone to explain it to me in clear terms...without the guilt trips or "that's just the way it is" parts.
i don't know where the next steps in mine and jeff's life will lead. right now we are committed to t.s.a. in jobs and in ministry. where does this leave us? for that matter, if i am truly to be a soldier from the inside-out until death, how does that work in a marriage to a non-salvationist? is this a matter of unequal yokes? [not as in saved--unsaved but me, having taken on the yoke of t.s.a. when i became a soldier, covenanting with God and jeff in marriage to jeff, who has not taken on that yoke?]
now i've gotten myself all confused. maybe this should have been an email. oh well.
peace out.
Are we really supposed to be devoted till death? I understand the biblical concept of covenant, but is that really what The Salvation Army expects?
Doesn't it matter what is truly in the heart of the person signing themselves into the covenant? I mean, like Sarah said, as a 14 year old, I couldn't honestly make a decision that would impact the rest of my life. As a 14 year old, I can't vote, I can't live on my own, I can't make my own legal decisions... why should I be able to make an informed covenant with God that would really be taken seriously? We can't care what other people think... the covenant is between us and God, not between us, God, and the opinions of others. What is in my heart and what God thinks about me is what matters. That's it. I just want to make Him happy-- no one else. And God can be happy with me, even if I signed a covenant at the age of 14, or even if I signed a covenant for officership, and then He and I later decide that the season of that covenant has come to an end. God wants us to be happy. God wants the best for us. Sometimes what is best for us at one point in our lives is not best later. That is why I always have said that the Salvation Army should have terms like the military... you can enlist for 3 years, 5 years, re-enlist for another 5 years, etc. and then people won't feel like they are going to hell if they decide that being an officer is no longer for them. And then other Army people wouldn't look at those who "got out" as sinners who should be shunned from society.
Sorry... bunch of rambling that I don't feel like trying to form into coherent paragraphs and complete thoughts...
The emphasis that I want to make is that the promise to serve in The Army for life is not a promise to serve for life, the end.
Let me clarify as much as I can, according to my own understanding.
I promise to serve as a soldier or an officer of The Salvation Army for life. As long as I am faithful to keep that promise, The Salvation Army will be faithful to allow me to be a soldier or an officer.
If I break my part of the agreement, which is to serve as a soldier or an officer, according to the stipulations of being a soldier or an officer, The Salvation Army will no longer give me the privilege of being a soldier or an officer of The Salvation Army.
That's it! That's the deal.
The life promise isn't a promise to the life promise; it is an agreement between the individual and The Salvation Army, stating that The Salvation Army will remain faithful to allow the individual to hold the rank of soldier or officer as long as the individual is faithful.
I believe the confusion is that the terms of the agreement aren't clear in our minds. And we all assume that the promise is a promise to the promise, rather than an agreement of mutual faithfulness, which will be broken by a breech in that faithfulness; nothing more.
So...when someone discontinues his or her end of the agreement, the outcome is that he or she is no longer a soldier or an officer; it is not that he or she is no longer acceptable as a Christian.
Forever learning,
Johnny
I think it is important to remember that both parties have to hold to thier end of the agreement. All to often the larger of the two wins not out of their correct position but rather because they are larger. There are times that we have to look at the covenant and ask if the Army is true to the covenant. Everything in the covenant is directed toward witnessing for Christ, winning souls, and growing in holiness, no matter what the means (as long as thier biblical). However, there are times when the Army, maybe, is speaking this covenantal language and not following through on its end. Perhaps instead of winning souls for Christ at all costs we are worried about protecting our name. Or perhaps the Army was presented as cutting edge ministry and we find that we are actually married to dogmatic traditionalism. In either case, if the vassal has been steadfast in their part of the covenant and the Sarrif (sp) has not, then the covenant is broken. Perhaps we all need to revisit covenantal practices within our own spiritual walks.
Great blog!
V
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