Who You Are

The text came in early Saturday morning. This man had called the church looking for more help than we could possibly give. I said I couldn't offer the help he wanted, but I would call on the phone from time to time to check in on him. I've done that for the last year. But I hadn't called in a while. The text read, "I wonder if God has given me all these problems to test the faith and commitment of those around me."

I know what set her off on Sunday. I admit, I could have kept my thoughts to myself. But the response seemed a bit unwarranted. We always say the worst, most hurtful things to the people we love most, don't we? "Why are you always such a b%*$?" she asked as she walked out the door.

The Facebook message from a friend in Sioux Falls on Thursday morning was unexpected. The content more so. Someone had taken out a full page ad in the Sioux Falls paper. The ad was essentially an "article" written by an individual who took serious issue with the ELCA's Social Statement on Human Sexuality passed in 2009. Central to the author's argument alleging that the ELCA no longer considers the Bible the Word of God was a "quotation" from a sermon given in 2005 in my former congregation by a "young, woman pastor," with my name. If it weren't for those identifiers, I'd never have recognized myself in this "quotation". I have a feeling this was neither the first nor the last time this individual has used my name in this way.

Thursday afternoon I had to escort our neighbor out of the church office because she had become belligerent to our secretary. As I gently escorted her to the door she said, "You say you're Christian? What are you doing to help our neighbor down the street? And I saw the couch that you threw away this morning. There are poor people who could have used that couch. Actions speak louder than words!" And off she stormed, vowing never to come again.

As this week ends, I am reminded of something someone once said. You better know who you are, because otherwise the world will always be ready to define you.

I come to the end of this week rejecting all these attempts to define me.

I come to the end of this week weary.

I come to the end of this week ready to hear different words that I know define me far better:

Forgiven

Beloved

Child of God.

I come to the end of this week ready for Sunday to come around again.