Sermon 6-12-11

"Varieties of Gifts"
1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

Paul was writing to a troubled congregation in Corinth. There were probably only fifty members in the church, but they were at one another’s throats. They were divided into political factions. They were debating sexual ethics. They were fighting about who should receive the Lord’s Supper and who should not. They were suing one another in court. They were bowing before idols in the shrines of their culture. They were defending their actions with slick slogans and bumper-sticker theology. To top it off, some of the church members insisted that they were more spiritual than some of the other members.  How little changed are church debates today.

Now there were demographic issues in the Corinthian church.  Churchgoers came from different ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds. What we refer to as “the church in Corinth” was really a bunch of separate little house churches with different leaders.  Corinthians, Christian or not, did not necessarily lead lives that would traditionally qualify as saintly. Nevertheless, let’s be grateful for their spirited discussions with Paul.  They challenged him, and his responses inform us.  Friction in a church is not necessarily a bad thing – from the comfortable distance of 2000 years – especially when it yields enlightening exchanges as this one did.

And let’s remember that the background for this discussion in the early church was not about deficits, but about strengths – who had the more important gifts.  Paul saw the underlying question as about relationships more than about the gifts themselves.  Why can’t people work together?  Why can’t people all get along?

The answer to these question is people.  Left to their own devices, people will figure out how to think about and do things is a way that makes it easy or profitable or fun for them.  Here in America we are especially vulnerable to temptations to nourish rivalries, given our culture's historic emphasis on competition, individualism, and social survival of the fittest.  Go Bills or Marlins or Blue Devils.  Inevitably this self-direction leads to tension with others who have figured out something different that they prefer.  Lacking a unifying force, people will pull in different directions.   Then they will complain that they aren’t getting anywhere. 

Paul uses the analogy of the parts of the human body needing to work together.  I’d like to use a symphony orchestra as an analogy – 50 people, the size of the Corinthian church, all with particular parts and particular instruments.  How does the orchestra make music togather?  First the composer makes sure the parts they are playing fit together.  Second the instruments are complementary – their sounds are different in character, but fit together harmoniously.  Third, they have a conductor to keep them all in sync. 

Our music is the word of God.  Paul makes clear who our conductor is; he mentions the “the same spirit” four times in this passage and “the one spirit” twice.  The Holy Spirit is our conductor enabling us to keep in sync with one another.  Paul is not promoting identicality, or even cooperation, but alignment or harmony.

Notice in this symphony analogy that diversity is preserved in the pursuit of harmony.  Because of this diversity, removing one member from an orchestra has far more impact than one out of 50 would suggest.  That’s the situation with our choir today.  We’ve lost Marlene as a choir member and a friend to be sure, but we are diminished beyond numbers, we have lost her unique gifts as well.

Pursing the orchestra analogy, no single member or category of people can claim exclusive insight into the conductor’s nature or intent.  The fullness of the Spirit's work encompasses all of us. Thus, when the body of Christ operates, when a community of faith pursues and discovers gifts such as wisdom, knowledge, faith, and healing, no one less than God is at work for as our text says, “It is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.” God's Spirit is not bound to our particular strategies, systems, or expectations, for the Spirit freely chooses to be present among Christians, their worship, and their witness.   It is even possible that Presbyterians are responding to the same Spirit that Methodists and Catholics respond to.

We need diversity or we won’t be able to create the sweet music of an orchestra.  But at the same time we need focus, direction, and coordination.  That’s the contribution of the Holy Spirit.  Thus, if we are in conflict with one another, we are not present to the Holy Spirit.   If we are clear that Pentecostals, liberals or texters have gone off the deep end and need to be restrained, we may need to check in again with our conductor. 

Do your unique gifts strengthen the church?  They do if you are paying attention to the Holy Spirit the way an orchestra member pays attention to the conductor. 

In a few minutes we’re going to elect church officers.  Their gifts will be much appreciated.  But they need to be coordinated, and that’s why we read scripture and pray in every session or Deacons meeting. 

Today is Pentecost, traditionally the day that the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples setting them off on a lifetime of church planting throughout the Mediterranean region.  So it is commonly thought of as the birthday of the church.  The Spirit that activated the disciples then is the same Spirit that is still with us today.  Or is it?

Here’s an old story to illustrate the question.

A boy who was wandering around the narthex of a large downtown church one Sunday morning and stopped to examine an imposing bronze plaque hanging on the wall. 

"What are all those names up there?"  he asked one of the ushers. 

"Those are  the names of people who died in the service." the usher

replied. 

Curious, the boy asked the usher,

"Which service, the 9:30 service or the 11 o'clock service?"

Paul gave the Presbyterian church its favorite phrase – decently and in order. Keep the place running is our mantra.  Suppose we took attention to the Holy Spirit completely out of our church.  Would 95% of what we do still continue?   

Usually the Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove.  Celtic Christians chose the wild goose as a symbol representing the Holy Spirit.  Now geese can be noisy, bothersome birds.  That’s why I like their image of the Holy Spirit as a wild goose because it jars us out of our complacency.  Perhaps we need an insistent, intrusive Spirit to get us moving.  One that is annoying us constantly with questions like:

• What would you have me do now?
• Where would you have me go?
• What would you have me say?

Pentecost is about our becoming Christ in the world.  Think now of some of the ways that God ministers through you. (pause)  Thank Him for your ministry and for the gifts that you have received. (pause)  Ask Him to draw new gifts to your attention.  (pause)  

Sitting here this morning we are surrounded by people embodying the gifts of the Spirit.  We are blessed, too, with the presence of the Spirit among us.  We have the word of God.  Like a symphony orchestra with its conductor, we are ready to create beautiful music together. 

Maestro….