At a Glance
Theme:
Covenant
Faculty Speaker:
Chad Eggleston, Ph.D. candidate, religion – Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Lectionary Texts:
Genesis 1:2-4a; Psalm 33; Romans 8:18-25; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
DYA students complete puzzles with residents at Croasdaile Retirement Village |
DYA students clean up outdoor spaces at Asbury Temple UMC |
Reflections on the Lecture
The notion of covenant (berit in Hebrew) is one of the most central ideas and consistent themes in the Bible for our understanding of how God has chosen to relate to God’s people. Starting with Jesus’ words at the Last Supper that the cup “is a new covenant in my blood,” Chad Eggleston took the group on a tour through the Old Testament to search for just what it is that makes this covenant “new.” In touching on the major covenants that God made with Noah, Abraham and David, we learned that a covenantal relationship involves ritual enactment, a prior relationship and history, a promise and a commitment, and a community – much more than simply individual feeling!
Throughout the process of engaging specific biblical texts, Chad also taught students exegetical techniques to help them dig deeper into the riches and the tensions of familiar scriptural stories in order to explore new facets of God’s dealings with Israel and with us. We discovered that the relationship God has to God’s people is analogous to the covenant of marriage, and as we closed Chad challenged us to continue to reflect on how Christian practices like baptism and Holy Communion continue to illumine and to represent God’s promise in Jeremiah 31:31-34 of a new covenant which is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Quotable Quotes
“Covenantal God, why you have chosen to relate to us we ultimately don’t know, but for the chance to relate to you, we are grateful. Amen.”
— Chad Eggleston’s opening prayer for the plenary session
“I don’t know what they did with the woodpeckers on Noah’s ark, but I assume they were there.”
— One of Chad’s reflections during the plenary session
“Nothing makes high school students more uncomfortable than circumcision. But then again, covenant is ritual.”
— Chad Eggleston during morning plenary, discussing circumcision as a mark of the covenant in the Old Testament
“Since they care about God they care about one another.”
— A DYA student’s reflections during evening covenant groups
Other Activities
Today was our first day doing service projects in the local community. Groups dispersed around town to visit the Durham Rescue Mission, Croasdaile Retirement Village, Asbury Temple United Methodist Church, Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers (TROSA), and Anathoth Community Garden. In evening worship, the Rev. Kevin Baker, pastor of Reconciliation UMC in Durham, preached on the new life in Christ made possible by God’s covenant promises. Rev. Craig Kocher, director of religious life for Duke University, presided at the eucharistic table.
What’s Ahead...
Tomorrow morning Dr. Curtis Freeman, professor of theology and director of Duke’s Baptist House of Studies, will lecture on incarnation. Students will begin planning worship for services they’ll lead over the next two weeks, and we’ll enjoy our second Arts Village workshop. In the evening, the Rev. Shane Benjamin, pastor of Asbury Temple UMC in Durham, will lead us in worship.
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