Good morning! Wow- what inspiring readings today! Which one spoke to you the most? I wonder why? The one that grabbed my attention was the Corinthians passage, specifically the parts about the spiritual gifts. I can’t go there first, though without addressing the body of Christ.
What is it? How does it work? What are the parts and what is its purpose? The body of Christ is the church, and Christ is the head as it says in Ephesians 5:23 and Colossians 1:18. In verse 13 it says we become members through baptism. Through this spiritual act of submission to God and other members, we are transplanted from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. God's spirit lives in us, we are taught a new way of living and, I believe, we are given what I will call spiritual gift seeds.
So now that we’re a part of the body, what unifies all of the parts? The same spirit that brings life to each of us brings the same life to the body as a whole. I like to think of it like the blood. In verse 13 it says, “… we were all made to drink of the one spirit, and in the nlt translation it says, “…we all share the same spirit.” Isn’t it interesting that Jesus’ blood is so important also.
But what part do we play in this transformation? When we are baptized, we are born again. We are transformed spiritually but our past still affects us. We are infant beings, a part of a new organism and we have to learn how this differs from what we knew before. With the spirit's guidance, attending church, reading the Bible, talking to other more mature believers and talking to God directly, we learn what God’s true, unconditional love is for ourselves and we try our best to share this with God and others. We understand we are all unique and yet we are also all equal. We follow God's reversal of power by raising up “lesser” members and expect “greater” members to lower themselves as servant leaders. We get to really know people by intentionally talking to them and sharing our vulnerabilities, hoping they’ll do the same. How can we help or ask God to help if we don’t know? Do you struggle with any of these things? Can you say in your heart that you love God, yourself and all people, including those that you don’t like? If not, this is where your focus should lie. Ask God to show you right now if there’s anything in particular in these matters that God wants you to address.
In regards to the parts of the body, also known as the spiritual gifts, what are they? Some are listed in this passage, but others are also found in other parts of the Bible including 1 Corinthians 13, and 14, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4. The total list includes: Leadership, Administration, Teaching, Knowledge, Wisdom, Prophecy, Discernment, Exhortation, Shepherding, Faith, Evangelism, Apostleship, Service/Helps, Mercy, Giving, miraculous powers*, healing*, distinguishing between spirits*, speaking in tongues*, interpretation of tongues*, encouragement*, celibacy* and Hospitality.
Do I think that this list is all inclusive? No. I don’t think that God is limited by Paul’s definitions. But they are a great place to start to think about which spiritual gifts God has in store for you.
So how do we know which part we are or gift that we have? Like I explained in the children’s talk, I don’t think that this is easy. Most of us know what a bike looks like, but some of us might not know what prophecy looks like. All of us know what it looks like to ride a bike, but some of us might not believe we can do it, so we don’t try. Do you struggle to believe in some gifts? Which ones? Others might try a few times but give up because it is too hard. Have any of you tried to perform a miracle? A bike is an earthly gift, and it is complicated, of course something that we can’t see clearly and maybe don’t have many modern examples to help show us the way will be much more so!
With this being said, I’m telling you- don’t focus on the complications. Focus on the gifts and the amazing and wonderful things that they will enable us to do! Get excited because God’s spirit is moving through our community and lighting us up! Do you remember when I said earlier that I think that spiritual gifts are like seeds in us that are planted when we become baptized? Well, if God is calling you to grow beyond lessons in love, take a step in faith with curiosity and thanksgiving to explore what type of seed the spirit has blessed you with. Don’t say you’re too old or too young. What brings you joy- what makes the seed inside you feel like it’s germinating? Where do you see the fruits of the spirit listed in the bulletin growing in your life? Please take note of this in your bulletin and continue to explore and practice.
Now some of you are mature Christians with really developed gifts. We are so blessed to have you. For us in the community that have been here for a while, I want you to write the name of one person down in your bulletin whose gifts you can see. After I’ve finished talking, the children and I will put papers with the listed gifts on them at the altar as an offering of thanksgiving for the gifts themselves and for the people in our church that have them. After the service, I want you to be bold and courageous and tell that one person both the gift that you’re drawn to and the gift that you see in them in whatever way you see fit. If you don’t come up with these things today, no worries. Do it later this week or month. It is in this kind of sharing that we encourage growth in our parts and in our body, and it is very necessary!
So I’ve discussed what the body of Christ is, how it works, how our actions contribute to it, one way of thinking about spiritual maturity and how we can discover and develop our roles. Still the big question remains, what’s its purpose? I think that it’s twofold. Firstly, the church’s purpose is to show the world the best way to live in community with God and each other by doing our best and by developing and using the spiritual gifts that God has given us (to be God’s light to the world and to show God’s otherworldly glory). It is actually these gifts used humbly and well that gives our community a supernatural boost. We have God’s power. Secondly, it is to draw the rest of the world into this community because God wants all people to live in harmony with God and others. While our worldwide historical track record is horrendous, let us press forward with our best efforts and God’s shareable power to grow into the people and church that God is calling us to be. Amen.
*the following spiritual gifts somehow didn’t make it into the sermon, but they did circulate around the church.
References: