“Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
-Collect for the Second Sunday of Easter
A friend once told me that the best part of marriage is the vows. He said, “The promises made are objective and durable.” While dating, he was often afraid that his significant other would lose interest and walk away. In these moments, he felt pressure to win her heart. His efforts had the opposite effect. Acting out of fear, he came across overly eager, which only pushed her further away. Once married, his performance anxiety was silenced. The covenant they made gave him the security he craved.
What comes to mind when you think of a covenant? For me, it’s a horror film from 2006. It’s not a word used outside of the occasional wedding ceremony anymore. It wasn’t until I attended a Presbyterian college that I learned it could be a defining feature of one’s piety.
In today’s collect, we pray to the one “who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation.” My college friends taught me that the new covenant stills the voice that whispers, “You’re not enough.” Christ has made a promise with his own blood. No more is our relationship with God in any way contingent upon winning his love. “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again” to win us for himself.
My friend who feared that he wasn’t enough for his partner, told me he’s no longer trying to earn her love. She made vows to him, and he finds rest in them. He trusts that his vows to her have made her confident that she doesn’t have to be the perfect wife. Freedom from the fear of measuring up has redirected their energy to healthier pursuits.
That said, many of us are familiar with broken vows, and we’ve all felt the pain of unkept promises. These betrayals make it hard to trust that anyone will keep their word, and can lead to a perpetual state of performance anxiety.
The good news of the new covenant for those who’ve experienced broken promises is that “God is true, even if everyone else is a liar.”1 In the “Paschal mystery,” Jesus has committed himself to us. “Though every man be a liar,” Christ is no liar.2 He has proven this in staying true to his word even to the point of death.
This unconditional “covenant of reconciliation” means that you and I have been made right with God “once and for all.” Unlike in a marriage, it’s a one-way promise. There are no strings attached.
In response, we pray that we might be true to our promises. We ask “that we may show forth in our lives what we profess by our faith.” We “who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body” request a life of integrity, not to earn God’s favor, but because it’s good for us and our neighbor.
My friends, God’s covenant with us is “objective and durable.” Despite our shortcomings and broken promises, he’ll never let us go. May his pledge to us silence our anxiety and free us to flourish.
Romans 3:4.
Ibid. (Luther’s translation in English.)
Ben, Thank you so much for these words this morning! These I need to be reminded of on a regular basis!!
Dear Ben--Thank you for your words on this Collect. I have always had that performance anxiety--in both secular and spiritual places. I grew up with major performance anxiety about God! I need to be reminded of this Collect every minute of every day.
Thanks again.