Stephen Baldwin
OT: Psalm 36.5-10
NT: 1 Cor 12.4-11
Spiritual Gifts
Today’s
passage led to a wonderful discussion in Bible Study this week. Which reminds me, if you are ever available
at 5pm on Thursday nights, come to Bible Study.
Instead of watching the 5 o’clock news or eating an early dinner or
staying late at work, listen when God tugs on your heartstrings and makes a
Bible Study group available. You won’t
regret it.
Our
discussion this week immediately turned to the spiritual gifts we’ve seen in
our lives in this church. Sonnie
Feamster, who was a gifted cook and loved to spread the Good News with her good
food! Sara Bethel, who inspired us all
to be better witnesses. Libby Wiseman,
who always somehow knew exactly what people needed, without even having to
ask.
And the
list goes on. We can look around this
sanctuary today and see gifts galore. If
you want to get something done, call Barb Sweetwood. If you want to see steadfast faith in action,
look no further than Betty Ralston. If someone
does something for you and don’t know who it was, know it was probably Dot
O’Dell. If you need parenting advice in
the modern age, call Mike & Alyson.
If you need a beautifully written letter, Linda Cochran is your
woman. If you find a stray animal or a person
in need of love, call Kay Smith or Jane Gillespie. If you have a problem with any kind of metal
in any form, see Bill Ott, who will fix it and tell you’re your family’s
genealogy. I could go on and on with each
person here today, who is gifted is so many ways. But I fear I’ve embarrassed too many people
already, so I’d like to ask you to think about your own gifts. Let’s make a list. Find a pen or pencil.
How many of
you like to make lists? I used to make
fun of my grandfather, because he had so many lists he kept lists to keep track
of his lists! But now I make lists
too. We all become our ancestors at some
point.
Did you find something to write
with? If you’re thinking about how silly
of an exercise this is, then perhaps you are the one who especially needs to do
it. Alright, ready?
Since our
Scripture is about gifts, make a list of your gifts. The things you do, the things you love to do,
the things you do well. Start writing,
and I’ll keep talking in case you need me to jog your memory. Perhaps you drive well, and you’re willing to
drive others. Or you pray persistently
for your family. Or you can make people
laugh. Or you can fix things. Or you can say what needs to be said when no
one else will. Write your gifts down.
Now, you
have a list of your gifts, right? The
things you’re good at. The things you do
well. If you were honest with yourself
and listed your gifts, it’s pretty impressive, huh? You are all gifted and capable of remarkable
things.
Now, set that
list down for a minute. We’ll come back to it, but set it down for
now. You’ve identified some of your gifts. The things you’re good at. But sometimes our greatest gifts are our
greatest struggles.
For Paul in
1 Corinthians, there’s a difference between gifts and spiritual gifts. Gifts are the things you do well. Spiritual gifts are the things the Holy
Spirit is doing in you, whether you’re good at them or not and whether you like
them or not.
My
grandmother shared a story that speaks to this point powerfully. She never liked praying publicly. Well,
“never liked” is probably saying it too softly.
The thought of praying in front of other people made her heart flutter. Most of us can identify with that
feeling. We are Presbyterians after all! But then Rev. Graber grew very ill, and Marty
Mandt, who was a leader here at the time, said they needed to pray more for
Rev. Graber and the church. And the Holy
Spirit began to work on my grandmother.
She invited folks to a prayer meeting that met weekly here at the church
for several years. And when we ended
Bible Study this week, she led us in prayer.
Sometimes our spiritual gifts are the things we least want to do, but
the things God most needs us to do. What is the Holy Spirit doing in you today? Have you heard God’s whisper?
One of the
most powerful parts of today‘s passage from 1 Corinthians is often one of the
most overlooked. We usually remember the
familiar words that there are a variety of gifts but the same spirit; a variety
of services but the same Lord; a variety of activities but the same God. But without verse seven, the weight of those
words is lost. Verse seven says God
gives us spiritual gifts for the common good.
Pull out that list you made a few
minutes ago. It shows the things you’re
good at, right? Keep doing those
things. It gives you satisfaction to do
them, and people around you count on you to do those things. Without you using your gifts, it leaves a
hole in your life and the life of the community.
God also calls us to develop
spiritual gifts that are not on our list.
Things we don’t think we’re good at…but things God needs to be done…and
things the Holy Spirit can help us do. Let
all God’s gifted people, who are able to do all things God needs through the
Holy Spirit, say, Amen!
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