“I Belong In Christ”
In the Salvation Army this is a big week for us. It is the week leading up to the ordination and commissioning of our new officers or pastors for our church, which we do every year at this time. The cadets have completed a 2-year seminary degree program and now they are graduating and being sent out to lead Salvation Army churches and institutions around ten different states in our Central Territory. It is usually a three-day weekend celebration.
But this year is a little bit different because we are having our very own General with us: General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham from England. Therefore, this year the Central Territory is having a week-long congress called “Belonging”. There will be exhibits, workshops, special speakers, opportunities for prayer, meet and greets with the General, “Belonging Spaces” – if you’re going, be sure to stop by our Women’s Ministries space in the Baird Center – a “Belongings” musical…all leading up to the commissioning of our new officers.
So, what does it mean to belong?
As the daughter of Salvation Army officers who moved every 2-3 years, I know what it feels like to not belong and the struggle to fit into a new school, a new church, a new everything. It was hard finding my place and figuring out who I was. I felt the need to reinvent myself each time to find that sense of belonging and avoid embarrassment or ridicule. I was looking for value in people. If I was liked then I felt worth.
As I grew older and grew in my faith I learned that Jesus also faced similar feelings on not belonging. He was rejected by His own faith community – talk about church-hurt! And then He chose to identify with those who feel out of place, rejected, or unseen.
My first thought goes immediately to the woman who touched the hem of His garment in Mark 5. What a beautiful story of redemption…again for a woman who was completely rejected because of her circumstances. She was an outcast, labeled “unclean” by her own faith community.
But on that day, her life was forever changed. Not only did Jesus redeem her physically and healed her body – Jesus redeemed her identity! He stopped to look for her and gave her the label “daughter”. In one word, Jesus gave her priceless value and changed this woman’s story and offering His friendship to her.
“Classic Jesus”.
Jesus wasn’t interested in words like clean or unclean. Everyone is unclean because of sin. He saw, ate with, touched, and healed those who were considered the worst because He had something far more valuable to offer them than any social label could.
Through stories like this and as I studied the Bible, I began to understand that my identity isn’t determined by my circumstance or by people. My identity is in Christ.
I hope you know where you find your worth – that your identity is in Christ:
In Christ you are chosen, you are His child, loved, forgiven, a new creation, you are more than a conqueror, you are fearfully and wonderfully made, you have purpose, you are God’s friend.
Heather Hanton
Ministries and Media Specialist
The Salvation Army USA Central Territory
Women’s Ministries Department
