Sermon for Epiphany 5B
Judy
Dear Friends,
This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Spiritual Gifts” and deals with the epistle (1st Corinthians 9: 16-23). Here it is:
In the 1st Corinthian lesson (9:16), did you hear St. Paul talking about preaching? He says, “I don't have any reason to brag about preaching the good news. Preaching is something God told me to do, and if I don't do it, I am doomed.” From his words, it’s very clear that Paul must have been a truly gifted preacher. From reading the Bible it looks like Paul preached whenever he could, wherever he could, and to whomever he could- Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, male or female, slave or free. If you sat still long enough, Paul would preach to you! He was so good, that he could adapt the presentation to the audience. Paul’s use of speech was very much like Rev. Stanley Sims’ use of a keyboard. Does anyone remember the Rev. Stanley Sims? He was our minister of music until he died on March 23, 2002. He was an amazing man! I took piano lessons from him- not to learn how to play, but to get the chance to listen to him share his ideas. Rev. Stan could adapt what came out of that keyboard to speak to whoever was listening. He could play classical music, jazz, Gospel, spirituals, show tunes- whatever. That’s how Paul was with words- he could communicate Jesus’ message to anyone! What a great spiritual gift! That’s what I’d like us to look at this morning- spiritual gifts.
We’ve meditated on spiritual gifts before. We looked at what they are, who has them, and what makes a gift “spiritual.” As you recall, everyone is born with potential unique giftedness. Parents, grandparents- don’t you hate it when the child you love brings home a report card that says “not working up to potential?” Guess what, God hates that too- not just for our child, but for us. All that amazing giftedness has to be developed, trained. As talented as Rev. Stan was, he had to take lessons and practice, practice, practice before his potential giftedness stopped being “potential” and started being “actual gift.”
What makes a gift spiritual? Again from November 16 (last year) we recall- what makes a gift spiritual is not what it is, but how it’s used. A gift becomes a spiritual gift when it is used for God’s purposes. Using Rev. Stan again, if he used his musical gift only for himself, it wouldn’t have been a spiritual gift. His use of his amazing musical gift to enrich people’s lives, worship, understanding- that’s what made it a spiritual gift. Here’s another example: are you a cook? If you only cook for yourself or to make yourself look good, your cooking is a gift, but you are wasting it spiritually. When you begin to use your cooking to reach out to others- then it is a gift in God’s service and it is a spiritual gift. Are you good with budgets, as is Mrs. Ellen Wiliams- our treasurer. If she only paid our bills, that would show her giftedness. But when she watches our money as if it’s her own and calls companies if they overcharge us, now that becomes a spiritual gift. So- a gift is something you’re good at; it becomes a spiritual gift if it helps any part of God’s creation.
God holds each one of us responsible for developing our gifts and then using them for him. Remember in Jesus’ parable of the talents how angry the master got at the servant who buried his talents? How do you go about developing your spiritual gifts? Well, first you need to find your areas of giftedness. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
1. What do you love to do?
2. How do you spend your free time (not counting watching TV)?
3. What do other people complement you for?
4. What did you love to do as a child?
5. What gives you joy?
After you’ve identified your gifts, use them for the Lord and his church. Are you a good cook? Make a batch of cookies to cheer someone up or make some chili for our feeding ministry. Are you good with kids? Help out with our youth program or ask your neighborhood school if they could use someone to help a first grader learn to read. Can you sing? Don’t just walk around your house singing, join the choir. Do you have a touch with flowers? Help in our meditation garden.
Now, let’s say we really work at developing our gifts, and then let’s say that we use them for God. What dangers are there? Dangers??! Yes, dangers- and I can think of at least two. One danger is when we get really good at what we do, because it is so very tempting to forget who gave us the gift in the first place- God. We don’t give credit where credit is due. Back in early 1976 before it was canonically acceptable for women to function as priests, Fr. Bill invited the Rev. Jeanette Picard to St. Paul’s as our guest celebrant and preacher. She was one of the first eleven women ordained as priests in the Episcopal Church and was in her early eighties at the time. She was also an accomplished balloon pilot. I was truly blessed, because I had a chance to spend some time with this amazingly brilliant woman. She told me about the time she took her scientist-husband up in a balloon to the stratosphere to do experiments. When they returned, a newspaper reporter was waiting to interview her. “Mrs. Picard,” he said. “Wasn’t it simply wonderful that your husband allowed you to accompany him when he went up into the stratosphere?” “My dear,” she replied. “I didn’t accompany him! He accompanied me! I was the pilot!” We do to God what the reporter did to Rev. Picard- we don’t give credit where it’s due! Who should have gotten the credit for a safe, wonderful flight? Of course- Jeanette Picard. And who should get the credit when we become really good at our spiritual gift? Of course- God, because he gave it to us.
The other danger is when we become so busy doing, doing, doing that we forget to start every day with God in prayer. Did you notice in the Gospel that even Jesus took a break from his busy schedule of healing? Look in Mark (1:35) where we are reminded that “Very early the next morning, Jesus got up and went to a place where he could be alone and pray.” If Jesus needed time with the Father before he started a long day, what makes us think that we don’t? Shut off the TV or radio, read a bit of Bible, think about it, and pray. Keep your “Forward Day by Day” next to the toilet- you’ll have a chance to read it there every day, no matter how busy you get. For prayer time when you’re really busy, use the bathroom or shower or your drive to work as a time with God.
So, avoid the dangers, but develop and use your unique gifts for the Lord. In closing, I’m going to share the lyrics of a song used by Dr. Martin Luther King in his “Drum Major for Justice” sermon that really speaks to me about using our spiritual gifts. It goes:
“If I can help somebody as I pass along;
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song;
If I can show somebody that they’re traveling wrong;
Then my living will not be in vain.
If I can do my duty as a Christian ought;
If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought;
If I can spread the message as the Master taught;
Then my living will not be in vain.”
For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org .
Blessed preaching,
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan