It’s A Gift
(1 Corinthians 12: 1-11)
I remember that time period in between when I was told I was going to be appointed as the certified Lay Minister for Community United Methodist Church how excited I was to begin a new chapter in my life. And I remembered how nervous I was as this new endeavor was not something I had much formal training in other than the five weekend CLM classes spread out over 18 months. I worried about all the things that could go wrong and how I could irreparably scatter the flock and then God gave me a gift. I was at Goodwill browsing through the book section looking for something interesting to read when I spotted a book entitled: The Book of Discipline which also had the Methodist cross and flame on the spine. Intrigued, I pulled it down off the shelf and looked at the cover which said: The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church. It was a recent edition so I called my pastor, Wendell Ankeny, and asked him what it was and if I should buy it. He told me what it was, and for the price, it was worth buying and reading, so I did.
What a find! Did anybody else know about this book? For a history buff it was rich in Methodist church history and for an unemployed attorney I could tell part of the book was written by lawyers or at least run by Methodist leaning lawyers for approval. What really resonated with me was the section on Social Principles, how we as Christians and particularly Methodists are to interact within society and the world. I was so taken with what the Social Principles said I started referencing the Book of Discipline in many of my sermons once I got to Community over eight years ago.
And now, I’ve just received the latest edition of the Book of Discipline for 2020/2024. What is significant about this edition is it is the first edition written after our denomination split with at least 25 percent of our Methodist churches, if not more, disaffiliating and either going out on their own or joining the Global Methodist Church and presumably rewriting their own Book of Discipline. So, in anticipation of Human Relations Day and Reverand Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday, I opened up our new discipline and began reading some selected sections to see if there are any noticeable differences, and I believe there are. I noticed a shift from the “Thou Shalt or Thou Shalt Not” tenor to a feeling of acceptance and inclusion, a shift towards recognizing the right of all God’s children in realizing their potential as human beings in relationship with each other. Now, I didn’t just make that up. That’s what it says in paragraph 263 of the Discipline under Human Relations Day. It went on to say that the purpose of the day is to further the development of better human relations. In short, we are called as United Methodists to be a gift to mankind just as Christ was a gift to us from God the Father.
And it’s that being a gift, sharing in the gifts we have received from the Holy Spirit that the Apostle Paul is writing about to the Corinthian church in today’s scripture reading. He starts out chapter twelve by stating: Brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts. You know that when you were Gentiles you were often misled by false gods that can’t even speak. He warns them that no one can speak through the Spirit and say that Jesus is cursed, nor can anyone say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. Paul was addressing a problem that was occurring within the church that was being caused by some false teachers who were only interested in self-promotion, advancing their own self interests over the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is nothing new and it’s been going on for almost two thousand years and there is no sign of it stopping as there is no shortage of charlatans seeking to deceive and mislead those looking for comfort, peace, mercy, forgiveness, and truth.
Paul says: There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; and there are different ministries and the same Lord; and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. He’s telling his readers, and us, that there are so many ways in which we can serve and advance the kingdom and that a demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good. I take this to mean that the gifts we have are unlimited and if we don’t think there is anything we can do, the Spirit will show us. You may not think sorting through donated clothing is a gift, but it is. You might not think spooning out soup to the hungry is a gift, but it is. These gifts often mean more than some stuffed suit standing behind a pulpit talking about loving your neighbor as yourself. We have so many talented people with so many gifts, some yet to be discovered. Paul then lists a few of the gifts that the Spirit imparts as examples, the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, performance of miracles, prophecy, the ability to tell spirits apart, different kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. He says: All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person.
What the Apostle is saying is that spiritual gifts are allocated by God among the diverse members of the one body of Christ and the distinguishing mark of the Spirit is Jesus’ lordship in the believer, not miraculous powers. John Welsey, the founder of our denomination noted that spiritual gifts, though varied, all flow from one fountain, the Holy Trinity: the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus, and God the Father. The spiritual gifts we receive are designed for the common good and deployed under the guidance of the Spirit. For Paul, receiving the Spirit incorporates one into the body of Christ so that all Christian life is itself the gift of the Spirit. Because the Spirit dwells within you, everything you do in the name of Jesus Christ is a gift. Paul’s main point is that the one Spirit who gives a diversity of additional gifts to individual church members does so for the common good of the whole church and, therefore the whole of God’s creation.
So let me return to our newest edition of our Book of Discipline, to paragraph 105, Our Theological Task which states: Theology is our effort to reflect upon God’s gracious action in our lives. In response to the love of Christ, we desire to be drawn into a deeper relationship with “faith’s pioneer and perfecter.” Our theological explorations seek to give expression to the mysterious reality of God’s presence, peace, and power in the world. By so doing, we attempt to articulate more clearly our understanding of the divine-human encounter and are thereby more fully prepared to participate in God’s work in the world. Yeah, we are given spiritual gifts that will prepare us and enable us to participate in God’s work in the world whether it be right here on our property, in our backyard, just down the street, or anywhere else in the world. The Book continues by stating: As United Methodists, we are called to identify the needs both of individuals and of society and to address those needs out of the resources of Christian faith in a way that is clear, convincing, and effective. Theology serves the church by interpreting the world’s needs and challenges to the Church and by interpreting the gospel to the world. So yes, God is completely involved in the giving, using, and empowering of gifts. Specific gifts, places of service, and activities may vary, but they all have their best effects when they build up the body of Christ, the church.
I would be remiss in my duties as your pastor if I didn’t mention the words of John Wesley which constitutes the preface to paragraph 162 of section three of our Social Principles, The Social Community. Wesley, in his explanatory notes on the Book of Romans said: When it comes to faith, what a living, creative, active, powerful thing it is! It cannot do other than good at all times. It never waits to ask whether there is some good which is to be done; rather, before the question is raised, it has done the deed, and keeps on doing it. One who is not active in this way is a person without faith. What Wesley is saying is that God creates a unique place in the body for every believer. Our gifts and ministries may overlap, but each believer has a specialized, God-designed role. And because of that, part of the exciting adventure of following Christ involves discovering one’s service contribution and then making it available to God.
So, no matter what gift or gifts a person has, all spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit decides which gifts each believer should have at any given time in their faith journey. It is incumbent upon us to use and sharpen our gifts to use them whenever and wherever we can without taking credit for what God has freely given us. As you seek to identify and utilize the gifts God has given you, make loving God and loving others your highest motivation and the gifts will come because you were meant to be a gift, a gift that keeps on giving.
Let us pray.
Yes, we all are called for service, to witness in God’s name. Our ministries are different; our purpose is the same. To touch the lives of others by God’s surprising grace, so every folk and nation may feel God’s warm embrace. Yes, Lord, we all are one in mission and by your Spirit we are led to do your work and your will with the talents we have and the resources at our disposal. Bless us with many gifts so that we may be a blessing to many. And when we feel that we are not up to the task, encourage us by your Spirit to boldly step up to meet the challenge and complete the ministry to which we’ve been entrusted. Prepare our hearts so that we may be ready to answer your call. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
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It’s a Gift
Because the Spirit dwells within you, everything you do in the name of Jesus Christ is a gift.