 | The New England Church PulpitNew England Congregational Church UCC |
"Gifted" | 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 | January 18, 2004 |
Diagonally across the room in another group, a quiet group we will call the eggheads. They look up from their books for a moment, and say: “That’s very interesting the way you are acting over there. We also believe that there is a place for emotion in religion. We are not at all sure what that place is, but isn’t it really more important that we understand our faith? Its biblical basis, its theological shape, its historical development and modern interpretation, and its contemporary ethical relevance? Isn’t it more important that we be able to make, on behalf of the faith, not scrambled, babbling statements of enthusiasm, but clear, cogent, and responsible statements. Now it’s those of us who have this kind of understanding that really are the first-class Christians.”
Across the room from the egg-heads are a group with their heads bowed, a few on their knees. They look up just long enough to look down their noses, and say, “Yes, enthusiasm is fine, and all those theological ideas are interesting, but you and I know that it is prayer that matters. When the church moves forward, it moves forward on its knees. It is those of us who have mastered the art of prayer who are onto the real thing. When we pray, God hears us and answers us. Where would the church be without the spiritual empowerment of our kind of praying? We are the ones who really understand what faith is about. We are the first-class Christians.”
In the other corner, by the door near the kitchen, there are some people in aprons, with their arms folded, shaking their heads at the rest of us. They say: “All that other stuff is fine. Enthusiasm has its place and we get worked up once in a while. And that theological, philosophical discussion is occasionally interesting and we appreciate the preacher making us think now and again. We too believe in prayer but we think it is far reaching and long lasting and so you don’t have to do it morning, noon and night. But you and I know that when there is a job to be done at the church, something real, something important–like cooking a meal, or painting a wall, or organizing an event–things that really matter in the church–we are the ones who are there. We are the ones who understand what is really important. We are the first-class Christians.”
(This approach to this letter by Paul was suggested by James Glasse who was president of Lancaster Theological Seminary of the UCC)
We don’t really know the exact situation at Corinth that prompted Paul’s first letter which you heard a portion of this morning. Whether they were divided into the ecstatic speakers, the theorists, the prayers and the chicken fryers we don’t know. But we can infer that Paul is writing to a divided congregation where some had prided themselves on being given special gifts which they thought made them superior. So Paul writes to correct the impression that some abilities, and gifts of the spirit are more important and will be given to true believers. He wants his readers to understand that there are a variety of gifts given to Christians and that this variety is a strength. Furthermore the point of the gifts is not personal enhancement but service to the body of Christ, the church. The gifts are not designed to draw attention to those who have them but to the one Spirit who gives them All the gifts are equally important. The true mark of God’s Spirit in the church is that it leads to cooperation, mutual love, and common service in Christ’s name, not to discord, superior attitudes, or jealousy.
Paul goes through a list. Here is the translation by J. B Phillips: One person’s gift by the Spirit is to speak with wisdom, another’s to speak with knowledge. The same Spirit gives to another person faith, to another the ability to heal, to another the power to do great deeds. The same Spirit gives to another one the gift of preaching the word of God, to another the ability to discriminate in spiritual matters, to another speech in different tongues and yet another the power to interpret the tongues.
Paul’s claim is that every Christian is given some gift to be used for the common good.
Last week I tried to persuade you that as Christians we are chosen. Today the good news is that each of us is gifted. I know this begins to sound like Garrison Keiler’s Lake Woebegon where “all the women are strong, all the men good looking and all the children above average.”
We are used to using the expression “gifted” as a reference to exceptional talents. In children we look for early signs of giftedness–academic, athletic, artistic, musical–evidence that our child or grandchild will be unique and exceptional in some way. The kind of giftedness Paul speaks about is not confined to those categories and abilities. Furthermore, every Christian has a gift–not just certain believers with certain talents–and so every person is, in some way, exceptional and valuable in the community of faith.
A pastor of a large congregation tells of one of his members, Mary, who, because of a debilitating nerve condition was confined to her home. But her spirit was mobile. She had the gift of writing letters. Whenever she would hear some good news about someone in the congregation –a young person who had been accepted to college, someone who received a promotion at work, the birth of a new baby–Mary would write a letter. Most of the folk who received letters had never met Mary. But, just as it is wonderful to have someone remember us and stand with us when we are suffering misfortune, it is also wonderful to have someone to share our joys. In the little town where I grew up almost everyone would receive birthday cards, get well cards and sympathy cards from “Miss Elsie” as her beginner Sunday School class called her. Miss Elsie was my mother. At the visitation before her funeral several people came to me and expressed appreciation for her gift.
William Willimon writes that if we were to ask him to name “saints” from his last congregation he would name two people we might think unusual. Both are recovering alcoholics. Willimon says that whenever anyone in that church was afflicted with alcoholism, or had a loved one who was addicted to alcohol, he could put them in touch with one of these two folks. He would often say, “I don’t know much about this problem, but we have someone in the church who has learned a great deal about alcohol the hard way. I’ll have them call you.” Only in the church, would those whom the world considers to be “addicts” be considered saints, wounded healers whose wounds are the source of someone else’s healing.
Mrs. Elliff baked cakes, banana cakes, that is bananas were in the frosting. They would be at church suppers, of course. But they were given to people in times of grief, or trouble. Not only did she have the gift of baking she also knew that as a Christian she had the opportunity to use whatever gift God had given her for the good of others. But Mrs. Elliff had a sense of humor. Whenever the church in Pineville Mo. had its spring evangelistic meeting (called ‘a revival’) she would try to have the preacher and the evangelist over on April Fool’s Day and serve them a delicious looking pie which, when you cut into it, had a filling of potato peelings.
As a matter of fact I could give you names (some in this room) who have the gift of humor. And just like Paul suggested they use it for the common good.
There was Gregory who with a gentle spirit pointed out that doubt was not a sin; and having all the answers might not be possible. He showed in the way he lived that searching was a spiritual gift and that a question mark could be a sacred symbol. I recently attended the memorial service of a woman who used to be a secretary in the advising office of the college where I teach. She had the gift of “telling it like it is” to the students who would appear in her office. If some one forgot an advisement appointment and ‘stood up’ an advisor they would get a call from Pat who could make them mend their ways. I found out that the last few years of her life she took on a Sunday School class of unruly 10 and 11 year-old boys. She used her gift of no nonsense love to bind them to the church and they loved her for it.
Tom was a peace maker. To him had been given the ministry of reconciliation. After a difficult church council meeting one Wednesday (so you know it wasn’t this church) he spent his Thursday calling people to keep them talking to each other. “We can disagree,” he would say, “but we have to disagree in love. Jesus didn’t command us to agree, but he did command us to get along in love.” His pastor wasn’t sure which specific Bible verse Tom had in mind when he remembered Jesus telling us to “get along in love,” but everyone knew he was right.
Some of you knew a lovely Christian lady whose name was Vyra. I have never known anyone quite like her with the gift of indomitable faith. Her faith remained unshaken through burying both of her children and being widowed twice and living much of the latter part of her life with a disability. “One day at a time, Honey.” she would say. You knew there was a match between what she said and the way she lived. It was a gift to those of us who knew her.
I could start naming people in this room who have gifts that they use for the good of all. But just let me remind us that Paul tells us that we all have gifts given us by the Spirit of God. According to today’s scripture from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, the test for whether or not a gift is of the Holy Spirit or not is whether or not that gift builds up the people of God.
In the very next chapter of his letter Paul says that in addition to our individual unique gifts we are all given a common gift. Paul called that gift love.
It is that gift that we surround each other with in times of tragic loss as one of our families is experiencing right now. That love may only express itself in an embrace, a silent standing with, an unspoken prayer. In our diversity we are unified in our love for each other.
In a week and a half we will have our annual meeting. At the end of that meeting we will sing. What we will sing gives expression to what Paul is talking about.
Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love
the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.
We share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear;
and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear.
When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain.
But we shall still be joined in heart, and hope to meet again.
Amen.
Joe Dunham
| Copyright © 2004 by Joe Dunham. All rights reserved. |