From Sampler to Sower

You know the feeling. Perhaps you just watched a coworker get all the credit for a project you worked together on. Perhaps the friend who always comes to you for help when finances are tight just went on an elaborate vacation while your financial situation kept you at home. Someone else just landed what you’ve been dreaming of, be it the dream job, the new home, the opportunity of a lifetime.  Whatever it is, you wanted it, they got it, and you’re left dealing with the disappointment and resentment that what you wanted just passed you by.

Welcome to envy.

So far in our series The Seven Deadly Sins of Youth Ministry we’ve looked at the ways gluttony and wrath can get in the way of our ministry.  By way of review, the traditional list of seven capital vices includes:

• superbia (pride)
• avaritia (greed)
• luxuria (lust)
• invidia (envy)
• gula (gluttony)
• ira (wrath)
• acedia (sloth?)

Today we’ll tackle invidia, also known as envy.
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This Lenten season has me thinking about the ways in which the attitudes long recognized as the seven capital vices can poison and sabotage our ministries.  We’re looking at each of the vices in a series we’re calling The Seven Deadly Sins of Youth Ministry.  By way of review, the traditional list of seven capital vices includes:

• superbia (pride)
• avaritia (greed)
• luxuria (lust)
• invidia (envy)
• gula (gluttony)
• ira (wrath)
• acedia (sloth?)

Today I’d like to consider the vice of ira known in English as wrath, rage or anger.
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Lent is a season of reflection and repentance, a time to do a hard reset on our priorities and fix our minds on things above, not on earthly things. But we’re youth workers, right? Of what do we have to repent?

(OK, at least some of us are youth workers. I realize I have plenty of readers who aren’t actively involved in youth ministry. If that’s you, you’re more than welcome here too.)

In light of that question, I’d like to take a closer look at how we do ministry, as well as how we live our daily lives, to see if there isn’t still room for repentance this Lenten season. To that end, I’m starting a new series on some of the attitudes and actions that threaten the effectiveness and Christlikeness of our ministry. I’ll be addressing them under the rubric of the seven deadly sins, starting with the sin of gluttony.  But first a word about the sins in general.

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