[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Epiphany 5B

[Joe Parrish]

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-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Feb 4, 2012 7:36 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Epiphany 5B


Dear Friends,

Tomorrow’s sermon is entitled “Spiritual Gifts” and deals with the
epistle (1st Corinthian lesson (9:16). 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.  Now we
have Mr. Nathaniel Ferrell- another amazing man! Rev. Stan could adapt
what came out of that keyboard to speak to whomever 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
“gift.”

What makes a gift spiritual?  Again from November 17 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, offer
to sing at a church service.  Do you have a touch with flowers?  Help
in our meditation garden- it’s acting like it’s almost spring.

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 web site. The address is:
http://www.stpaulsepisag.com .

Blessed preaching,
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan

 
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