This morning I spent an hour working with a technically gifted church member to make connections to the new screens in our sanctuary which you see pictured here. That person was also connecting and making usable a new camera for livestreaming our worship services. His technical know-how is a gift to all of us.
What you see in the picture is actually the work of many gifted church members. There are red poinsettias each donated by an individual. There are banners hung by a woman with an artist’s eye for the visual aspects of our worship, including flower arranging. There is a Christmas tree donated by one family and decorated by several. The stained glass of our denominational logo harks back decades to an elderly member’s memorial for her husband. The screens themselves were recently hung and wiring installed for them by a member with architectural and construction gifts. And of course the offering of worship in the space is a blend of musical, speaking, praying and other corporate gifts. All of those gifts come together each Sunday to bless everyone present as well as those joining us on-line for worship.
Our text for this Sunday, I Corinthians 12:1-11, explains the spiritual basis for the beautiful joining of those gifts. Verses 4 to 6 explains the diverse gifting of the church, the Body of Christ (as Paul will carry the thought forward just beyond our text in the next part of the chapter). Paul speaks of what individuals in the church do in three terms, “gifts,” “service,” “activities,” and connects each term with a member of the Trinity: Spirit, Lord (Jesus), and God (the Father). Thus the multiple offerings of human members of the church reflect the multiple persons of God’s own being as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In this day of individualism and localism, it will good as we reflect more on this text to hunker down on verse 7, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Paul is addressing a congregation where it seems that individuals were celebrating their spiritual abilities for their own individual aggrandizement. To such folks, the word comes that the gifts given are not for the sake of those who have and utilize them, but for the common good. Our world desperately needs a people who live and model that desire for and mutual service on behalf of the common good.
The final verse also speaks to those puffed up in pride over their individual gifts. It’s a reminder that they are just that, gifts. They are not the product of individual merit or effort. The gifts are given to each individual by the Spirit as the Spirit chooses. They are not meant to be a source of pride, but of gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility.
I praise God for the gifts of people in our congregation! Even more, I praise God that they are exercised with genuine love for all, and great concern for the common good. May we realize what a gift that is to offer to those around us.