Saint Nicholas, the fourth Century Bishop of Myra, lived a
life of secret service. He did not seek fame or the recognition of others.
Rather, Nicholas desired the reward of the Heavenly Father as he went about
quietly and generously serving the needs of others. His life embodies the truth
of Jesus’ teaching in Mathew 6:1-4. Nicholas’s generosity is the story behind our
modern Christmas tradition of hanging stockings by the fireplace. If you missed this weekend’s message and want
the rest of the story, you can listen to it here! [hyperlink]
Many of us are taking the “Secret Service” challenge this week. We’re
looking for five opportunities to lighten someone’s load and striving to do so anonymously! Secret service comes against a false narrative which insists our value is based on what we produce, or how we look, or the way we act. The soul-training exercise of serving secretly frees us from needing others' recognition to feel like we matter. The truth of the Gospel is that we matter to God because of who God is, not because of what we do or say, or how we behave.
As James Bryan Smith, author of The Good and Beautiful Life,
reminds us: “[Our] worth is found in the eyes of a loving God. If you win, God
loves you. If you lose, God loves you. If you fast and pray and give your money
to the poor, God loves you. If you are sinful and selfish, God loves you. He is
a covenant God, and his love never changes. You are valuable, precious and
worth dying for – just as you are.” (p. 147-148)
Take the Secret Service challenge with us and let me know
what you learn about yourself or your relationship with God as a result.
