November 15, 2024
Identity
As many, if not most, of you know, someone claiming to be me sent out a phishing email. This person’s end game was to have you send them gift cards, supposedly as a gift for our staff. Shortly after these emails began to arrive in some of your inboxes, my phone was abuzz with your emails and texts asking if it was truly from me. Which it was not.
In my life as an academic, I was given yearly training on the latest scams, what to look for, and how to respond. In general, view any email that asks you to do something for them or provide personal information (like a password, credit card or social security numbers, and the like) with deep suspicion. If suspicious, look at the email address from which it was sent. This email was sent from “reverendtoddj@gmail.com”; which is not my First Covenant email. Although this email did not include this feature, it is always best not to click on any links that may be contained in a suspicious email. Very little good can come of that, and lots of different kinds of harms probably will. Issues of identity in our wired world can be very confusing, and sometimes problematic. Thanks for being careful!
But issues of identity are not new. Sometimes two things can have different names, but are essentially the same thing. For example, between now and the end of the calendar year we will have both Canticles and Psalms as part of our lessons. As a refresher, typically the first reading is from the Old Testament and is followed by a Psalm which is included as a prayerful response to that first reading. Beginning this week, we will have the first of four canticles between now and Christmas. Canticles, like psalms, are prayers in poetic verse, which may have been sung or chanted in worship even before their inclusion in the scriptures. The difference is that the psalms are from the book of Psalms, canticles are found elsewhere in the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments. So, we will have songs from Hannah, Zechariah, Isaiah, and Mary in our worship where we would typically have a psalm in the coming weeks.
Whereas I began with two things that claim to be the same but are different, I contrasted that with two things that appear to be different but are the same. Identity can be a slippery thing, and can require some investigation. Our identity as a church should be without question, however. As Paul wrote, “Now you (all) are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27) May no one accuse us of being any less. And whatever language people may use to describe us, may it reflect our identity as a community who share not only new life in Christ together, but participate in Christ’s ministry in and through our church together. Might this identity be evident to all.
With confidence in Christ our Lord,
~ Pastor Todd