Season of Identity

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

Who have you decided to be this year?

 

I make new year’s resolutions each January, but they aren’t really about what I want to do.  Certainly, there are tasks involved.  I need to clean my pantry or stretch each day.  But, really, what I want is to be the kind of person with a tidy pantry.  I want to be the kind of person who is limber.

 

What matters, in the end, is not what I want to do, but who I want to be.

 

Who is it that you want to be?

 

The secular calendar asks this question in the form of new year’s resolutions.  The church calendar asks it by thinking about baptism.

 

This coming Sunday, we will celebrate the baptism of Jesus.  The story puts identity front and center.  It asks us demanding and important questions: What choices am I making for my life?  What does my interdependence with others mean for who I will be on my own?  How can I live as the fullest, best version of myself?  Who is it that I want to be?

 

In the coming weeks, you will notice that the lectionary revolves around these themes of identity, purpose, vocation, and choice.  I hope these scriptures will give you a faithful lens to think about your life.

 

Think about your life in the context of the church: Am I the person I want to be here?  Am I contributing to this community?  What does my personality and character have to offer this place, and am I brave enough to offer it?

 

And think about your life in the context of the larger world: Am I the person I want to be outside the church walls?  What does my identity as a Christian offer?  What would it be like to contribute to the world around me from my best and most courageous self?

 

Identity is a gift.  It is also a decision that we make over and over again.  I hope you make yours thoughtfully and well in this season.

 

Yours in Christ,

Anne+