We seem to have become a world of acronyms—an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a new word. Every occupation has their own vocabulary of acronyms that would confuse someone unrelated to that particular field; and, sometimes, we form our own acronyms to help us to remember something useful.
In 2017, I learned one of those useful sort of acronyms. Actually, it was more than useful! It was crucial to who I am and to Whom I belong.
I was struggling with a difficult situation at the church I served, the Lead Team and a District Superintendent that I felt had violated our covenant together. I was devastated and very wounded. I sought out the wisdom of trusted mentors who I also knew to be solid Christ Followers, Bonnie and Prof. Ron Crandall. I got to know Ron as part of my dissertation project and Bonnie happened to be on my Barnabas Team who were the team of people who interviewed me and met with me throughout my ordination process.
Bonnie is one of those people who had invented a creative acronym to help her remember something important. When I met Bonnie and Ron for lunch and explained what I had experience, Bonnie looked at me (she may have been pointing her finger!) and said, “You have dishonored God! You have claimed that you are a child of God, but you haven’t claimed that you are a person of worth! You can’t claim one without claiming the other.”
And just to make sure I didn’t forget her words of wisdom, she added, “COGPOW: Child Of God Person Of Worth.” She was right. What the Lead Team and my District Superintendent did was a breach of covenant, but the way I allowed their actions to devastate me meant that I had not claimed my worth as a Child of God.
Bonnie, a licensed counsellor, believes so strongly in her acronym that she can easily be picked out in traffic because her personalized license plate is emblazoned with the letters COGPOW.
And I have a new acronym to help me remember a crucial part of my identity because I am a Child Of God and I am also a Person Of Worth! COGPOW!
Judy
