Variety of Gifts - 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 (Epiphany 2C)

     Good morning again, We are only three weeks into our new year here, and it's dark and cold out. I thank each and every one of you for coming out this morning.  Today we will be continuing our series on “Love Never Ends: Being the Body of Christ.” Over the next few weeks, we will be taking a deep dive into the book of First Corinthians, chapters 12-15. Let’s take a step back, though, and talk about this book in the larger scheme of the Bible. 

This book was written by the apostle Paul, writing many New Testament letters. Paul’s story is also written in Acts, chapter 18; Paul has traveled to a city in south-central Greece called Corinth. It was established before 3000 BC, and amazingly, it still exists today - although it’s not quite the same city it once was.  Ancient Corinth was a major city in Greece - with a population of 90,000 some four hundred years before the time of Christ. Unfortunately, in 1858, a major earthquake destroyed the ruins, and so little is left of what Paul would have been surrounded by. Anyway, Paul traveled to this metropolis to start a new church there. According to the book of Acts, he stayed for about a year and a half, and he established that church about 50 CE, some 20 years after Jesus’ crucifixion. Once that was up and running, Paul decided to move on and continue on to Ephesus. While in Ephesus, he kept hearing stories of what was happening in Corinth. So he felt like this collective of believers needed some clarification or encouragement, so that’s why we have this first letter to the Corinthians. (This is only the first letter that survived, there is a reference to a previous letter in the beginning chapters, but it has not been recovered). The section that we’re reading from today is Paul talking about worship and how the Corinthians should conduct themselves during worship. So let this be a warning… y’all better be on your best behavior… hahaha… just kidding. 

Anyway, today we are talking about spiritual gifts… and the existing varieties. I hope you think about your spiritual gifts and how Bethany can help move you forward using them. Paul lists a few of them in the middle of our scripture today, like wisdom or knowledge, healing, and faith.  This is not a mere way of cataloging what spiritual gifts are, like a menu for us to choose from, but for us to begin to recognize what skills the Holy Spirit has blessed not only each of us but also collectively as the church. Paul writes in verse 7 that each is given “… for the common good.”  Because our common good is becoming too rare in our world of individualized and personalized everything.

What we are naturally good at can be the start to finding our spiritual gifts, but how we glorify God is really what makes it the gift! Sometimes gifts are temporary, but hopefully, they are permanent. 

So how can we tell what’s a spiritual gift and what’s not? Does your gift promote your faith and trust in Jesus Christ? Can it help point you and others to God’s love and mercy? Does it help you proclaim that “Jesus is Lord,” as in the first bit of the scripture? If not, then it’s not a spiritual gift. But Paul, that seems a little simplistic. Couldn't people just lie to us? Yes - there are plenty of false teachers and false prophets out there. But true spiritual gifts... hold up when questioned. Still point the way to Christ and his freedom when tested. This is not a time for blind faith, friends; this is a time that we use our community to vet and to discern with us. This is another reason why a good society is necessary these days. Around my house, I say many things without putting a whole lot of thought behind it sometimes. By the grace of God and Tadjena, many of those things, EVEN as they are coming out of my mouth, I immediately regret. For example, like most of America this month, I thought about joining a gym to start working out again. This is not a wrong goal. But as soon as I started talking about it, I immediately regretted it. For context, we were members of the YMCA for several years through my previous employment, and I always had those darn good intentions making it in and having the body and health of my dreams. We threw away good money on that while sitting on the couch. So - there I was, I finished my sentence, and she looked at me. I'm looking back at her, and I just say, "You know what... never mind. That didn't pass the say-it-out-loud test." This test... I'm not sure where I picked it up, but if there is something I want, or I have one of those REALLY GOOD ideas while falling asleep or something... I'll have to obviously tell her about it. So - I repeat my idea - as long as I remember it, and sometimes I can't explain it well enough for her to see the pot of gold at the end of my rainbow because... it doesn't pass the say-it-out-loud test. 

So you may be thinking - well, how can I know what my gifts are? Do any of you know what your spiritual gifts are? When I was going through candidacy to become a pastor, one of the tests I took was spiritual gifts. Thankfully enough, at least for me, I passed. Hahaha... Anyway - you're given, I think, 80 questions, and you have to rank the statements, how much you agree or disagree with each. My results were that my top three gifts were: servanthood, leadership, and teaching. I hope that seems pretty reasonable to you, and you can see that in me. But... what I'd like to know is... what is Bethany's collective spiritual gift? How does the Spirit lead through this church? I know these gifts can feel personal, and I really get to own them. Same with skills in our modern age as well. For example, if you’re identified as a gifted student, you may be more challenged because you’ve already completed your work, and the teacher wants to make sure you’re not bored, right? So - you’re given a little more latitude, more freedom. Because they know what you’re capable of and that your gift is being used… let’s say, productively. The gifted ones are praised for their quick attention and level of detail that their peers cannot match. However, these gifts can be used to promote and distinguish the students from others. That is what Paul is saying should not be encouraged. Gifts are given through the Holy Spirit from the Lord, and every believer is given gifts. This is a commonality with all believers.

But ownership... how can we own something that had nothing to do with us, to begin with? The gifts were given by God, and as much as hopefully, you are using them to God's glory. God chose you just for a moment like this, so maybe it would be good to reflect on how those gifts could be used to highlight that? If we look at our gifts as something we own, unfortunately, it might lead us down a path of arrogance and self-promotion. If we view the gifts as something that God sent his Spirit to fill us with, the mystery can be explored and led into the community with people who have the same gifts and serve those who need them. 

So my call to you this week is to think about what gifts you've been given by the Holy Spirit and how we can connect you to most utilize those gifts of mercy, or translation, or discernment... however the spirit may be leading. Unfortunately, sometimes the way we find out about those things is to try acting more like Jesus and doing the work that He has called us to do. But let's be bold in our faith, brave in our prayers for understanding, and proactive in submission to the work we need to do to bring heaven on earth. 

May your gifts reach out and help someone in need this week and always. May you be blessed with the skills you have had, do have, and will have. May it bring you closer in faith and closer to the community we are all a part of.