INTRODUCTION
Since coming to New Hartford Rosemary and I have had the pleasure of visiting many of your homes. In fact just last week a couple from church invited us over to their home for dinner Sunday evening. As a part of that invitation I was told to tell Rosemary that we were to bring our bathing suits so that after dinner we could all soak in their hot tub. Of course I remembered to tell Rosemary about the hot tub after we had already arrived at the Jones. Too late to turn around and go back now. I told them that it had just slipped my mind. When if the truth is to be told, I know what I look like in a bathing suit and it’s not a pretty sight. Are you dissatisfied with how you look? Welcome to the club. We all live in a society that is fixated on appearance. There are diet plans galore for those who feel that they are over weight. There are exercise programs and machines for those who wish to tone or buff up. There is even plastic surgery for those not satisfied with the face God gave them. Things have gotten so bad in our country that instead of teenagers asking that 60’s question “who am I?,” now they are asking, “who do I want look like?” A few years ago this obsession was picked up in a Mondona video hit song called “The Vogue.” Named after the Vogue magazine’s super model runway renditions. (Do a little model walking)
As you can see I don’t stack up to today’s supermodels. And that’s the problem isn’t it?
Not many of us do stack up to super models. The Models don’t look like us. The actors don’t look like us. Next to people such as that most people feel inferior. And this sense of inadequacy can spill over even into the church. Some of you may look at me and say, “I wish I could stand up in front of people and talk like pastor Greg.” Or you might be like me and upon listening to Halyna’s playing say, I wish I could play like that.” We can all feel at times inadequate when comparing ourselves to those around us. We may all wonder at times, “what do I have to offer God’s church that would compeer to those around me?” But then this is not a new problem for the church. This comparison between one Christian and the next is exactly the problem Paul was facing with the Corinthians. In the church at Corinth there were those who saw themselves as spiritually superior to others because of the spiritual gifts they possessed. And on the other hand, there were those who looked down upon themselves and others because they lacked those spiritual gifts seen as the top
of the line. In the church at Corinth there were the super saints and the not-so-super saints. And this distinction was causing havoc. For this reason in addressing the Corinthians Paul writes,
"For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each one of them, as he chose."
When it comes to spiritual gifts, says Paul, you Corinthians have got it all wrong. Spiritual gifts are not about spiritual maturity or spiritual superiority. Nor is it even about how much faith you have. Spiritual gifts are not about you at all. They are not given for your personal use nor are they given because of who you are. But then, why are spiritual gifts given? Do you like the displays we have in our windows? (Department 56 Churches in snow covered landscape scenes) They were made by the husband of one of our members.. A while ago they had us over their house for Sunday lunch. While there they showed us their upstairs room where the husband has his electric racing cars. In the basement they showed us his model rockets, boats and a trains set that took up half of the basement. When I saw all of the toys all I could do was go “Wow.” For all of us little boys in men’s bodies it was heaven. A little while ago James got the chance of a life time he was hired to rebuild racing cars for the Skip Barber Racing School. In his new job he works on what they call school cars, used for training racing car drivers. Formula RT 2000 cars, used in minor racing. And finally on Barber Dodge cars, which are similar to those used in the Indi 500 circuit. After 18 months of wear and tear , any one of these three types of cars might come back to the crew James serves on for body work or to have their motors rebuilt. Whatever needs doing, Jame’s repair team does it to get those cars up and running again. That is the purpose of Spiritual gifts. To establish the Church as a spiritual repair shop. A place where: the sick can be healed; the broken can be put back together again; those who despair may find hope; those who imprisoned by their sin may find release; those who find themselves far from God may discover their way back home. And the wonder of it all is that God has chosen those who have been broken to bring healing to the broken. Those who have experienced fear to offer the perfect love of God that casts out all fear. Those who have known the darkest doubt to share the faith in Christ that can not be shaken.
"But God has so composed the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior part, that there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another."
God has assembled this family of God as specialist in spiritual care. But our spiritual specialty comes not from our developed skills or natural abilities. It derives not from our experience or education. It doesn’t even come from the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit has given us. What is it that God calls us to offer to those in spiritual need? What gift? Why the very gift that Christ our Lord offered
Philippians 2: 5
"Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross."
What is that gift that God would have you offer to those gathered here this morning? It is that very gift which we all find is the hardest gift to give. It is the gift of ourselves. It is for this reason that the Holy Spirit has poured into us it’s power from on high in order to empower us, to enable us to break through the walls we have built and to offer ourselves to others as Christ offered Himself for us. What do you have to offer this Church? What great gift do you have to share with us. Why it’s the gift of yourself. Your strengths and your weaknesses. Your hopes and your fears. Your willingness to share this journey of faith with us. Last Sunday while a member of our church was recovering in the Hospital from prostrate surgery a couple from our church came in to visit. Upon entering the sick man’s room the man visiting said to him,“Welcome to the club.” And in that one statement said a thousand words. Fear not for I have taken this journey before you, and I am here now to tell you that I will take this path with you. You are not alone, your church family is with you. And as I was helped through my time of trouble, so will we help you. It’s like the story told on the TV show “West Wing” about the man who falls into a hole and can’t get out. A politician comes by and the mans cries out for help. The politician throws him some money and goes on his way. Next a priest comes by and again the man cries out. The priest writes a prayer on a piece of paper and throws it down to the man in the hole and then goes on his way. Finally a friend comes by and hearing the man’s cry jumps down into the hole with him. The first man cries out, “why did you jump into this hole? Now we
are both stuck down here.” “Don’t worry,” said the man’s friend. “I’ve been in this hole before, and I know the way out.”
CONCLUSION
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."
In sharing ourselves we share the Christ who lives through us one with one another
Prayer of ST. Theresa
"Christ has no body now but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes through which he looks
compassion on this world
Yours are the feet with which
He walks to do good
Yours are the hands with which
He blesses all the world
Yours are the hands
Yours are the feet
Yours are the eyes
You are His body"