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I read recently of an orchestra where the violinists have started a court case. They are suing the orchestra because they want to be paid more money for playing their violins. The violin players claim that they deserve to be paid more than any of the other musicians in the orchestra. Why? They point to how many notes they play per concert. Those playing the flute, oboe, or trombone, claim the violinists, play far fewer notes than the very busy violinists. And since the violinists play more notes per concert, they want more pay. It’s an intriguing example of the way in which we often devalue others’ service. These violinists seemed to overvalue their own service and undervalue the service of others. They didn’t seem to appreciate the contribution the other musicians were making to the orchestra. And, often we do the same thing. Sometimes we even do this in church.

Read More »The (re)Born Identity of Service: Remembering Who You’ve Become Through Baptism (1 Cor. 12:1-20)