David Worley

I first met David Worley in September of 2002.  My wife Juli and I had just moved to Austin so that I could attend Austin Graduate School of Theology.  After placing membership at Brentwood Oaks Church of Christ, Juli and I attended a welcome meeting for new members in the chapel on a Wednesday evening.  David Worley was the “shepherd of the month”, so he sat down with us and another new member to share Brentwood’s story and to answer any questions that we might have.  I don’t remember much of what he said that evening, but I do remember coming away aware that David had a strong Christian faith and that he was passionate about the church.

A year later, after Brentwood’s youth minister left, Juli and I were approached by the BOCC elders about the possibility of filling in on an interim basis.  David was the first elder to speak with us about this possibility, and after we initially turned it down, David and Rayford Walker met with us again and convinced us to give it a shot.  In truth, I didn’t feel prepared to take on the responsibility, but David and Rayford reassured us that God often calls those who least expect it.  He even quoted Robbie Burns, “And would some power give us the gift, to see ourselves as others see us!  It would from many a blunder free us.” 

My part-time interim position with Brentwood eventually evolved into a full-time role and I was blessed to serve as youth minister for seven years.  Throughout that time, I met with David and Rayford numerous times, often at David’s office, otherwise known as Texspresso.  I sometimes would receive one line, or even one word emails from David while he was traveling in such far-flung places as Asia and Russia.  I had to work to decipher the exact meaning of these enigmatic messages, but I usually figured it out before too long.  In our elder’s/minister’s meetings, David was always a calming presence.  He was quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.  So, whenever he did speak, it was always worth a listen.  Over a decade ago, when our youth center was badly in need of a remodel, David was instrumental in making sure that it got done. 

David was in fact instrumental in numerous good works around the world – too many to count – too many to mention.  In 2011, while Juli, Ashlyn, and I were living in Dublin, Ireland, I received an email from him with one simple question.  “What’s your address?”.  I figured, if he’s not in Ireland already, he will be soon.  Sure enough, a few days later, a taxi dropped David to our door.  He didn’t stay long, only a couple of hours, but those two hours were an encouragement to me and my family.  David had taken time out of a business trip to London to pop over to Dublin to encourage and exhort us to remain faithful in our work.  I was always confident that David was faithful in supporting us and our work through prayer to the Father. 

When we returned home from Dublin in the summer of 2015, it was disappointing to discover that David was battling cancer.  We only saw him a couple of times after that, but he remained in our prayers until the end.  Just a few weeks ago, I learned that one of my cousins has cancer.  I emailed David and he graciously emailed me back with some helpful information.  To the very end, he showed care and concern for others.  David will be missed, but his legacy lives on.  And we can all look forward to seeing him again in the age to come. – Shay

The Center of it All...

I'm so thankful for the hope and optimism that children bring to this world!  Even when they realize that the world is not a perfect place, they still seem to exude a positive attitude in the face of strife and difficulty.  The future is overflowing with possibilities in the mind of a child.  And their innocence brings joy in the midst of cynicism.

I've learned a lot from my daughter Ashlyn the past 7 & 1/2 years.  And I was reminded of a truth last Sunday evening.  Before kissing her goodnight, we typically read a couple of stories (one being a Bible story) and pray.  On this night, instead of reading a Bible story, I thought I would talk to her about what she learned in Sunday school.  I've done this sort of thing on many occasions, and normally Ashlyn can tell me exactly what the story was about.  However, on this evening, her mind could not recall the exact details of the story.  To try to prompt her, I asked, "Was the story about Jesus, or was it from the Old Testament?"  Her response was, "Of course it was about Jesus, it was a Bible story."  Duh!  I should not have needed to be reminded of that.  The whole Bible, Old and New Testament, is ultimately about Jesus!

The apostle Paul believed this to be true.  He writes in Colossians "He (Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers - all things have been created through him and for him.  He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross." (1:15-20, NRSV).

The Son was there in the beginning, he entered into space and time in the man Jesus in the middle, and he'll be there when heaven and earth are reconciled in the new creation.  So as Ashlyn reminded me, "God's mystery, that is, Christ himself" (Col 2:2), is splattered across the pages of the entire Biblical narrative.  As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:20, "In him (Jesus) every one of God's promises is a 'Yes'"!

This is good news for me right now (and always).  I've been stressed out the past several weeks for a number of reasons.  I've felt the kind of stress that disturbs your sleep, gnaws at your gut, and gets into your bones.  I know that this too will pass, but in the meantime, I need to see the world through the eyes of a child and I need to be reminded of Paul's words in Romans 8:31 and ff, "What then are we to say about these things?  If God is for us, who is against us?  He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?...Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us .  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Thank you Lord. - Shay

For the Alien...

I usually steer away from blatant partisan politics.  I don't mind discussing political ideas on an issue by issue basis, but you won't find me rooting for politicians, much less political parties like I cheer on the Horns and Arsenal FC.  As a sports fan, I pull for my team regardless of who is coaching or how well we are doing.  When people align themselves to specific politicians or political parties, it can sometimes distort their perspective and they fail to criticize their man, woman, or party.

It is my opinion that Christians are best served by political independence.  If they choose to vote, they should vote based on their convictions arising out of their faith, but they should always be willing to criticize the poor policies and actions of any elected official, whether they voted for them or not.  Equally, they should be quick to applaud the strong decisions made by those for whom they did not vote.

Having lived overseas for 6 & 1/2 years, I feel like I have a unique perspective on things both inside and outside of the United States.  One of the things that continues to frustrate me about American culture is its insularity.  I cringe when I hear people say things like, "The US is the greatest country in the world."  Many of the people I've heard say this have never visited another country, much less lived in one.  Every country in the world has its fair share of flaws, as well as its beauty and strengths.  I find it incredibly disturbing to think that so many American Christians spend time praying for our nation and then fail to pray for the nations of the world.

Throughout the Biblical story, God has always held a soft spot for the widows, the orphans, and the aliens.  God longs for his people to give a voice to those without a voice.  Often, the outsiders are the ones closest to God's heart.  I have probably not been as aware of those on the margins as I should have been in the past, although I have reached out from time to time.  I have testified in immigration court on behalf of a friend who was granted political asylum in this country based on my testimony.  And yes, he is from one of the countries on the present ban list.  When in Ireland, we befriended dozens and dozens of immigrants, as well as the local Irish.  Juli and I offered to take in a teenage asylum seeker from a Muslim country a few years back (a country also on the present ban list).  He declined our offer because he would have lost some of his state benefits, like medical care had he taken us up on our offer.  He eventually was granted asylum and is living a productive life in Ireland.  I say this, not to blow my own horn, but to let the reader know that though I am not a "Mother Teresa" as it relates to this issue, I have had the opportunity to interact with some beautiful people from some beautiful places in the world and God has blessed me and my family through those encounters.  All humanity has been created in the image of God.

My Christian convictions do not allow me to support the recent executive actions of my president.  I will not allow fear to overcome my faith.  If Christians really believe what we claim to believe, then we should not cower in a corner, but we should be the first to provide a voice for the widow, the orphan, and yes, the alien.  I love John's vision toward the end of Revelation where the nations stream into the new Jerusalem in the renewed creation.  "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.  It's gates will never be shut by day - and there will be no night there.  People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations." (Rev 21:23-26, NRSV).

If this is what God's will being done on earth as it is in heaven looks like, then as God's people we have a responsibility to work for that reality in the here and now.  Let's not just pray those words, but let's put those words into action.  And if we do it, I believe we'll meet some beautiful people along the way. - Shay

The God Who Will Act Again

As recently as 50 years ago, families were spending thousands of dollars constructing underground bomb shelters to protect them and their closest neighbors from an impending nuclear holocaust.  There was widespread fear of a Soviet dominated communist world.  This period in history was marked by conflicts in Korea, Cuba, and Viet Nam.  In American schools, children were instructed in the fine art of what to do in case of an ICBM strike.  It’s humorous to think of children crawling under their desks in such a scenario – as if that would protect them from nuclear fallout!  A couple of decades later, the Cold War was still a reality.  The movie industry made money from Cold War themes, creating films like Red Dawn, Rambo, and Rocky IV.  In hindsight, these films seem silly to us now.  But at the time, the fears and anxieties that spawned these cinematic adventures were real and prevalent.  Some today feel like maybe we’re entering a new Cold War.  Time will tell.

          But let’s go back in time further than 50 years.  Let’s rewind to 2500 years ago.  God’s people, the Judeans remain in exile, while the nations of the near east are in a state of flux.  The Babylonian Empire is in free-fall.  Fear and anxiety is widespread.  A new global power has stepped onto the stage and it’s unclear what the geo-political landscape will look like when the dust finally settles.  As Cyrus, King of Persia makes his move and marches against the nations of the coastlands of the Caspian, Black, and Mediterranean Seas, the people tremble – they’re afraid – they try to encourage one another, but it does no good.  Most of the people have put their faith in gods that are not.  They’ve invested their future in idols – false gods who have no power to deliver them.  To get the full picture, let’s take a look at Isaiah 41:1-10. 

“Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment.  Who has roused a victor from the east, summoned him to his service?  He delivers up nations to him, and tramples kings under foot; he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow.  He pursues them and passes on safely, scarcely touching the path with his feet.  Who has performed and done this; calling the generations from the beginning?  I, the Lord am first, and will be the last.  The coastlands have seen and are afraid, the ends of the earth tremble; they have drawn near and come.  Each one helps the other, saying to one another, ‘Take courage!’  The artisan encourages the goldsmith, and the one who smooths with the hammer encourages the one who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, ‘It is good’; and they fasten it with nails so that it cannot be moved.  But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you ‘You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off’; do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41:1-10, NRSV). 

           Why are the people of the coastlands so afraid as Cyrus makes his move?  Because they realize they don’t possess the military might to oppose the Persians.  And their idols are merely the creation of humans – they must be propped up by human means and human methods.  They nail down their idols so they won’t fall over in the middle of the night.  They try to pump each other up, saying to one another that their creations are good and they shall not be moved.  But God has seen this all before.  He was there in the beginning; he’s seen kingdoms rise and empires fall.  He’ll be there in the end.  He’s in the middle of the present as well.  Cyrus doesn’t know it, but it’s YHWH who’s behind his rise to power. 

          As the coastlands are in an uproar, as they tremble and quake, and call upon their gods who can’t even stand up on their own, Israel has no need to fear.  They’ve put their faith, not in their own creations, but in the God who created the cosmos out of nothing.  They’ve put their trust in one who’s delivered before in the Exodus, and who will deliver again through a man and an empire that doesn’t even call upon his Name.  Israel has nothing to fear because they are YHWH’s chosen servant; they’re a part of his plan.  They’re God’s instrument in bringing about the reconciliation of the nations.  God will not abandon his people.  He will strengthen them and allow them to share in his victory.  And that’s good news for a people who were told that their God was nothing – that their God could not deliver them.  That’s good news for a people who up until this point, didn’t seem to have much hope.  That’s good news for a people who’ve been in exile for 50 years. 

Looking back historically, we know that soon after these oracles were delivered – Cyrus, the Persian King allowed the exiles to return to Judea and rebuild their temple.  The God who had acted previously, had acted again! The God who acted then is still active in our world today.

          Though the fear of global communism is no longer present in our world, there are a lot of other concerns which cause a great deal of stress and anxiety in people.  As I mentioned earlier, there is a renewed fear in the potentiality of another Cold War with Russia.  Global terrorism has become a dangerous reality.  Not to mention, we are days away from a new, unproven president’s inauguration.  We are facing a lot of unknowns.

          And since the age of the Enlightenment, our world has offered any number of idols to deal with the problems people face.  People want something to put their trust in, but unfortunately, people far too often put their hope in things that ultimately cannot deliver.  Over the past 100 years, we’ve seen the rise and fall of the communist ideal.  After periods of recession and depression, we’ve been reminded that capitalism doesn’t solve all our economic problems either.  We’ve seen that military might doesn’t always make right.  The war to end all wars only led to more wars.  Technology was supposed to make our lives easier and more efficient, but people are busier today than ever – lives are chaotic and out of balance.  Science has discovered amazing things and has given humanity numerous benefits, but it has not created a perfect world.  And the materialist/reductionism which science spawned is merely a new kind of Pantheisitic idolatry – it’s a philosophy that claims that the only thing that’s real is what can be observed scientifically.  So people end up worshiping the laws of nature, rather than the creator of those laws.  Politics is still politics, need I say more? 

        Just like the old paganism, this neo-paganism isn’t about conforming to God’s will; it’s about creating a god who can be conformed to our will.  But there’s a problem with this sort of god – it’s only as powerful as we are and we soon find that we’re not nearly as powerful as we thought.  Human self-sufficiency has been found insufficient.  By now, it’s obvious that the age of reason didn’t solve all our problems, but neither will an age of so called post-modernity – an age of pluralism and moral relativism.  These new idols are no more persuasive or powerful than the old ones, because like the idols of old, these idols are propped up by human methods and as we have seen in history, they inevitably fall.

          We are at times tempted by the illusions of our modern idolatries.  On the one hand, we’re tempted to put our trust in these man-made institutions and on the other hand we’re discouraged as we look around and it seems as if God’s Kingdom isn’t really coming.  It seems that we’ve been in exile for far longer than 50 years and when we see the world through merely human eyes, things appear to be getting worse, not better.  But God has another word in all of this and it’s not simply a word of judgment, but also a word of grace.

          And this word of grace could only come to us from a God who is more powerful than we are – a God who is not bound by our circumstances – a God who can step into our lives from the outside and act on our behalf.  Hope in a dark world can only come to us from a God who can enter into space and time and make a difference.  This word of grace could only come to us from the God who revealed himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ.  He’s a God whom we didn’t bring down, but a God who has brought us up.  This is the message the church needs to be reminded of and this is the message that our world so badly needs to hear.

          The God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the personal God who was at work in the history of Israel.  And he’s the personal God who is still at work in our world today – in our past, in our present, and certainly in our future.  This God did not forget his promises to Abraham.  He did not forget his promises to the slaves in Egypt.  He did not forget his promises to David, or the Judean exiles.  And this God did not forget his promises to his own Son.  He did not abandon him to the grave and he will not abandon us either.  The God we know and serve isn’t a god of wood or stone.  He isn’t the god of Greek philosophical speculation.  He isn’t simply the god of Pantheism, or Deism, or reductionist materialism – He’s the God who has acted and will act again.  He will not abandon or cast off his people!

          For those of us who have put our trust in Jesus, through God’s grace, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to share this message.  On the one hand, we are to call our modern ideologies what they are always in danger of becoming – modern idolatries.  And on the other hand, we have the responsibility to share with a hurting world God’s message of grace.  Let’s remind ourselves once more of God’s word to his people.  “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

          We encounter God’s word of grace as we embark on the year 2017.  We may all feel anxious as we face the unknowns of the weeks and months ahead.  And it may be that you’re personally coming to grips with some unknowns in your life as you begin this new year.  Maybe you’re facing financial problems – you may have issues at your work.  You may be dealing with family or marital problems.  Maybe you’re carrying emotional burdens.  It may be that you are in the midst of a health scare – some kind of illness, or medical problem that has arisen.  Whatever you may be facing, you can be sure that the God who acted on behalf of Abraham, the God who acted for the exiles in Judea, and the God who most clearly acted in the person of Jesus Christ will continue to act on your behalf - the God who acted before, will act again. - Shay

Questions?

Though we may sometimes tire of formulating the answers, we are often forced to consider what we believe and why we believe it, when asked both simple and profound questions by our children.  Really, no question should be off limits when contemplating the cosmos.  It's a shame when adults loose the curiosity so common in a child.  We should all desire to ask questions.  That's what theology seeks to do -  to ask the questions that might lead to the answers, or that might lead to the understanding that some questions can't be answered in this life.  As Anselm of Canterbury put it: theology is faith seeking understanding.  I believe that there's so much more to our world and our reality than what immediately lies at the surface.  I think most people believe this as well.  Unfortunately, in a world full of distractions, and some of them quite amazing, many don't take the time to ask the questions that might lead to ultimate answers.  Here are some questions that came to my mind on Christmas Eve.  I believe that the answer to all of these questions arrived in the most unexpected of ways some 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem. 

Questions?

Are we just an insignificant dot of light - a cosmic amalgamation of dust and debris spinning around an average star in an average galaxy?
Will any of this matter in a million, or a billion, or a trillion years when the universe is shred to bits and pieces; gradually torn a part into a cold nothingness?
Are we just an accident of mindless atoms colliding randomly - creating the illusion of structure, purpose, and meaning?  Creating even the illusion of personhood?
Is this just an act - a charade - a put on of the grandest scale - one big universal joke?  Could such a joke be any more cruel?
Is there really any purpose and meaning to any of this?  
Or is this long march of history really nothing more substantial than the latest "tweet" or an episode of reality TV?
Do black lives, white lives, brown lives - do any lives really matter?
Is this something, really nothing?
Or; is there something more? - Shay 
 

What's In A Name?

          According to “Babycenter.com”, Sophia, Emma, and Olivia were the three most popular girl’s names given in 2016.  The most popular boy’s names were Jackson, Aiden, and Lucas.

          What’s in a name?  Do our names mean anything?  Do they in some ways define us?  Do they reveal something of our charcter?  Why did your parents name you what they named you?  Why did you give your children their names? 

          I was named after the now defunct Shea Stadium in New York City.  My dad just liked the sound of the name.  But they changed the spelling of it to “Shay” with an “a” “y” instead of an “e” “a”, so that my uncle wouldn’t call me “Shee-a”. 

          We “Americanized” the Irish name “Aisling” to “Ashlyn” when our daughter was born in 2009.  We discovered that her name means “dream” in Irish, but that’s not why we named her Ashlyn.

          A lot of people name their children after relatives or famous people.  And some people still name their children based on the meaning of the name or for some other symbolic reason. 

          Names were also very important in the Bible.  God told the prophet Isaiah to name his children for specific symbolic purposes.  One son was to be called Shear-Jashub which means “a remnant shall return”.  Another child was given the name Maher-shalal-hash-baz, meaning “spoil speeds, prey hastes”.  Can you imagine the bullying you’d get at school with a name like that?

         But the most famous of the sign children in Isaiah, is of course the son who was to be called Immanuel, meaning “God with us”.  In the original context of Isaiah’s prophesy, this was to be the name of either one of Isaiah’s sons, or possibly, one of King Ahaz’s sons.  The child was to be a sign of God’s continual presence with his people. 

Why did God’s people, Judah, and specifically, King Ahaz need to be reassured of God’s presence with them?  Because King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel were plotting an attack on Jerusalem to depose Ahaz and place another king on the throne.  We’re told in the early part of Isaiah 7 that when Ahaz and his people learned of this plot, they were “shaking as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.”  They needed to know that their God would be with them in this crisis.

The word of the Lord from Isaiah 7:10-16.  “Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, ‘Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.’  But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.’  Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David!  Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also?  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.  Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.  He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.  For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.” 

Essentially, God’s message to Ahaz is that very soon, the land of Syria and the land of Ephraim will be deserted and they will no longer pose a threat to Ahaz and the people of Judah.  By the time the soon to be born child, Immanuel, is weaned from his mother’s breast, God’s promise will be fulfilled.  And because the child’s name is Immanuel, (“God with us”), they can be sure that their God will be with them, even as they face this crisis.

Throughout the centuries, God has always journeyed with his people.  He has never deserted them – he has never forsaken them.  When God’s people cry out to him, he hears them and he rescues them -  he saves them.  At the dawn of the first century of our era, God comes to his people again, but in the most unexpected of ways.  Matthew’s gospel tells the story like this.

“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way.  When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.  But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’  All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means, ‘God is with us.’  When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.” (Matthew 1:18-25).

If the names of the children in Isaiah reveal to us the nature and purposes of God, how much more do these two names reveal?  Jesus, which is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua, or God saves, reminds us of God’s continual deliverance of his people.  Joshua led God’s people into the Promised Land, but how much more does Jesus lead his people into the ultimate Promised Land – the new creation in the age to come! 

And if the child Immanuel in Isaiah’s time had pointed God’s people to his continuing presence with them, how much more is God’s presence realized as God the Son takes on human flesh and moves into the neighborhood (to quote Eugene Peterson)!  In the person of Jesus of Nazareth, God is truly with us.  

God’s modus operandi throughout time has been deliverance, salvation, and presence.  God rescues us for the sake of relationship, and he converts us for the sake of communion.  Jesus is the climax of the story of God and his people – he is God with his people!  These two names, Jesus and Immanuel reveal so much about the man from Nazareth.  And the man from Nazareth, in turn, reveals so much of the God of Israel – the God of the world. 

On Sunday, many in our world will celebrate the birth of Jesus.  We join them in this celebration.  But we also remember that his birth eventually led to his death and his death to his resurrection and exaltation.  We’re reminded of the early Christian hymn that says, “God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:9-11).

So, wherever we’re at in our journey through life – even if we’re in the midst of a crisis – we can be sure that God will deliver us and rescue us through Jesus.  And let us not forget that God’s presence isn’t just promised at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel, but also at the end.  Jesus’ final words are, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  God remains with us.  May we remain with him. - Shay

One's Own Sense of Worth

Doing ministry for your full-time job can be dangerous.  I'm not talking about those brave men and women who risk their lives in far-flung places selflessly laying it all on the line in order to bring good news to those in darkness.  They face a kind of danger that many of us pray we never face.  I'm referring to a more subtle, but spiritually speaking, a potentially far more deadly danger.  Maybe the biggest threat to a minister's life and ministry is the minister himself.  One's own sense of worth is often derived from the work that one does, and this can be extremely dangerous for those employed by churches.  Pride is probably the nastiest of sins and a deadly enemy for any believer, but I believe it can be especially damning for members of the clergy.  I've fought this sin all of my life and I have become increasingly aware of it the past decade or so as I've made Christian ministry my life's vocation.

But one of the things that has helped me to have a more realistic picture of myself is to look around me at all the ways that God is at work through my brothers and sisters in Christ, most of whom are not dependent on the church for their source of income (they in fact are the source of income for people like myself).  When I see dozens upon dozens of my fellow sojourners offering their bodies as living sacrifices, often going unnoticed in the process, I'm reminded that God's kingdom is built upon the foundation of humble servants who quietly and consistently demonstrate the love of the Lord and their neighbor, not expecting anything in return.  Sure, vocational ministers like myself have a role to play in Christ's church, and we should seek to play our parts well.  But anytime we begin to place a higher value on what we offer to the collective, compared to what our compatriots might offer, we are on dangerous ground.  Regardless of our role in Christ's church, we need to all be reminded that our worth is derived not from what we do, but from whose we are by virtue of the gospel.  We are the adopted children of the Father in whose hearts the Spirit of the Son cries "Abba Father!"

That last line comes straight out of Galatians chapter four.  The Apostle Paul is dealing with an imminent threat to the gospel as he writes the churches in Galatia.  The cliff-notes version of the backstory is this: Jewish Christians have infiltrated the Galatian churches claiming that in order to truly be a part of God's people, Gentile Christians have to keep the entire Mosaic Law, including the visible signs of covenant membership such as Jewish dietary restrictions, the Sabbath, and especially the rite of circumcision for male converts.  Paul claims that this version of the gospel is in fact not the gospel at all, but a distortion of the gospel.  Paul's argument in the letter could be fairly well summarized as this, "...in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.  As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.   There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.  And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise...And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying 'Abba!  Father!'  So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God." (Galatians 3:26-29 & 4:6-7).

Thousands of years prior to this God had redeemed a people from slavery in the land of Egypt.  This people of course was Israel.  God had set them free from slavery and given them a new identity as his children.  Now, in Christ, God has formed a new people for himself derived from every tribe, nation, and tongue.  In God's family, ethnic identity counts for nothing.  In God's family, social standing counts for nothing.  In God's family, gender differences, count for nothing.  The only thing that counts for anything is being one of God's adopted children.  That's where our identity and our own sense of worth is to be found.

This sets me free from the slavery of finding my self worth through the success or failure of "my ministry".  This identity in Christ brings freedom to the believer who struggles to meet their own personal expectations in life and spirituality.  When a child of God discovers that there's nothing they can do that would make God love them more, and there's nothing they can do that would make God love them less, they are free to live boldly before God.  A fear a failure is replaced by a longing for love.

I can't say that I've fully embraced this new identity in Christ.  But I want to.  When I find myself becoming prideful over things that I think I've achieved, I need to be reminded of where my sense of worth is to come from.  When I feel like I've failed and that I'm just not good enough, I need to be reminded that that's true - I'm not good enough!  I never have been and I never will be.  But that doesn't matter.  What matters is that I am a child of God and that he has given me the Spirit of his Son.  If I allow the Spirit to do his work in me, then I will slowly, but surely, put to death my fleshly desires, including the nastiest of them all: pride!

Where do you find your sense of worth?  Is it in your job or vocation?  Do you find your identity in your skills or hobbies?  Is it found in your favorite sports teams?  Is your sense of self found in your social or economic standing?  Do you find your identity in your level of education (or your lack of education)?  Do you view yourself primarily through your present life stage (single, married, children, no children, employed, unemployed, etc.)?  Is your self worth bound up completely in your physical family?  Wherever you derive your sense of self worth, God invites you to find your  identity through his Son.  He welcomes you into his family where all the social and spiritual barriers that so often divide our world can be torn down and demolished.   You can discover a new identity in and through him.  If you are curious about what life in Christ might be like, talk to someone who may have already taken those first steps down this path.  Life in Christ really does open up a whole new identity and a whole new world (Gal 6:15).  - Shay