“I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.”
PUTTING FAITH TO THE ULTIMATE TEST
These beautiful words and this touching sentiment is all a part of the Covenant Renewal worship service that Methodists are encouraged to participate in at the beginning of every calendar year. The truth is, nowadays, some church attendees have to be vigorously encouraged to be a part of this worship experience, as there are some difficult clauses in the Covenant Renewal prayer that can really put the faith of the Believer to the test.
Not all “professing” Methodists, perhaps Christians on the whole, willingly agree to be ranked with whomever God decides, (yes, that includes the mendicant on the street, the woman of unsound mind, or even the Prime Minister), or to be, “put to suffering”, “laid aside”, “brought low”, “be empty” or “have nothing” … for the sake of God in Christ, because this is really a “big ask”. Those phrases and others like them in this prayer require a “David-like” faith—2 Samuel 24:14, “And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
Not everyone has the mettle to surrender all (yield all things) to Jesus, even though we so often sing the gospel song with those lyrics. We all want to be “employed” and “exalted for thee” for these are clearly more desirable circumstances.
NOT DIRECTLY FROM SCRIPTURE
The scripture reminds us in Philippians 2:3-4, “…but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” In the synoptic gospels, we are encouraged as the Bride of Crist to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. Although the Covenant Prayer echoes these sentiments from the Word of God in a very real and tangible way, the heart of this prayer didn’t come directly from the Bible but rather from a book published in 1663 by one Richard Alleine, a Puritan. The book was titled “A Vindication of Godliness in the Greater Strictness and Spirituality of It”. In 1753, the prayer was again published in John Wesley’s A Christian Library. Wesley used one chapter, “The Application of the Whole“, on Monday, August 11, 1755, in what was probably the first real celebration of the Covenant Service in the Methodist movement. Wesley found the service rich and meaningful, and for many years, he conducted the Covenant Service whenever he visited the Methodist Societies until it started to be celebrated either as a Watch Night or New Year’s Sunday service.
The Superintendent Minister will hold the Covenant Renewal worship service on a Sunday in January, as they cannot be in more than two congregations on the first Sunday of the year. Since most congregations prefer this worship service to be presided over by the minister in charge of the circuit, they agree to wait for any Sunday in January that the minister is available.
SELF-EXAMINATION, REFLECTION, AND DEDICATION
The format of this worship service, although modified over the years, remains fairly lengthy, as this renewal service was actually considered a time for Methodists to gather annually for self-examination, reflection, and dedication, wholly giving up themselves and renewing covenant with God.
Repentance through confession and commitment was and still is a key focus of the service, demanding humility from those willing to submit themselves to the dynamic words stated within the liturgy. In this service, the Church joyfully celebrates God’s gracious offer that “I will be their God and they shall be my people.” Jer 31:33.
The Covenant is the means of grace by which Methodists accept the relationship that God offers through His Son Jesus and then seek to sustain it. It is therefore not so much about getting into a covenantal relationship with God as it is about staying in it.
January 2026 has already passed. The Covenant Renewal prayer is not one that should be recited and forgotten and put away on a shelf until January 2027, but rather, it should be reflected upon, especially when the challenging times come. This is a bipartisan agreement between ourselves and God, and I pray that it may become a source of inspiration to Christians, the Bride of Christ, in general, even as we all prepare ourselves to meet Jesus the Christ, our soon-coming King.
Sarah Isaac has been saved for over 20 years and is a Freedom Come Rain writer.
File Photo/Erica Dunbar