The Covenant and The Dance of Nations is performed by Mark Weaver, with an optional ensemble of musicians as available from the worship team or talented individuals in the churches who participate.

From the dawn of our nation's Christian beginnings to the unfolding of the Founding Fathers' vision in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, our desire to be One Nation Under God has been opposed by a deep rooted and tragic self-interest.

God's Word and the liberating truth that "all men are created equal" competed with a vision of Manifest Destiny for a place in our nation's heart. The hunger for land and gold would eventually win out, sweeping westward all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

For those parents and students who want to use this material for in-depth study of the history, reconciliation, and the Bible, check out our
History & the Healing of the Nations
critical thinking study materials.

The 200 year-old subjection of peoples of color grew into sectional and political divisions that violently separated North and South. As the nation divided, so did denominations and churches.

Jesus said that a house divided cannot stand. Within the four years known as the Civil War, over 600,000 men died and hundreds of thousands more were crippled and scarred for life. And despite the final laying down of arms in 1865, American hearts were still not healed of the self-interest that continued dividing us.

One hundred more years would pass, but conflicts over freedom, race and prejudice remained divisive and unresolved. The turbulence of the 1960s reminded us that many still yearned to experience the truth that all men were created equal.

Now, thirty years later, our generation is experiencing fresh and healing winds of racial reconciliation. The Church is finally awakening to her role as reconciler.

The Covenant: Dance of Nations is a musical journey that encourages Christians to reexamine their past, humble their hearts and answer God's call for reconciliation.

We need the Holy Spirit to aid us in reexamining the history of our nation and the Church. When we look back in the light of truth, we discover that there are no convenient villians--or heros. Those who shaped the history of our nation were a two-fold cord of good and evil.

• Dance of Nations, 1606. European, African and Native American cultures are about to collide as the seeds of a new nation are planted.
• The Dawn, 1620-70. A husband and wife crossing the Atlantic share their dreams and concerns about their future and the future of the new world.
• The Dream, 1781. While the former colonists rejoiced in their newly won freedom and nation, African slaves remain in chains.
• The Breach, 1820-58. The enslavement of Africans and the taking of land from native American Indians opened a door for the devil.
• The Divide, 1859. As the nation stands at the brink of war, the Church divides, failing in her role as the nation's spiritual guide.
• The Ruin, 1861-65. Armies of blue and gray assemble and turn their plowshares into swords.
• The Hope, 1863-89. A husband and wife reflect upon the war, the words of Lincoln and his untimely death, and question what the sacrifice of so many lives really accomplished.

God does not want any relationship to remain broken. Whether child to parent, husband to wife, friend to friend, denomination to denomination, culture to culture, or nation to nation--God desires reconciled relationships.

• The Call. God is looking for men and women to be modern day Isaiahs who will call our nation into account with God's truth.
• The Way. Ours is the generation of the Church that needs to stand in unity and pull down the strongholds of darkness over our land.
• Holy God. In our Holy God there is no two-fold cord of good and evil, no division. His holiness burns away human imperfection. His glory humbles pride and his love casts out fear.