Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
January 17, 2010

Psalms 36:5-10 (NRSV)
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord. 7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. 10 O continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart!

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 (NRSV)
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

“Gifts, Services, Activities”

Let me tell you a story: Last week I was in Punta Cana which is in the Dominican Republic. Put “warm” in front of “vacation” this time of year and you have a snapshot of paradise. That where I was! My friends, Gary and Chris, and I were staying at an “all inclusive” resort. No limits on eating, drinking, or on activities. There was no waiting; there were no lines, and there was no expectation of tipping.
            All the workers did their jobs with care and commitment – be it weeding the gardens, checking the pool water, or waiting on the clients. Though many of the workers were not fluent in English, we heard over and over “Good morning” and “It is my pleasure” and “Thank you for coming.” But one night we were pleasantly surprised by something else we heard from our waiter.
            His name is “Juan” but his family calls him “Filipe.” His mother and father are deceased and his siblings live about 5 hours from the resort. He works 11 days in a row and then has 3 days off. Room and board are provided with the job.
Juan very much wanted to know what we thought about the way he spoke English. Telling his story in between waiting on several tables, we learned that he had been working on his English speaking for a while and had gotten the job at the resort because of his ability to speak and understand the language. He was even exempt from the English classes the resort provided for the Spanish workers.
            Juan was very personable and we enjoyed chatting with him – even when we didn’t quite understand what he said. He was caring and tried hard to be a good waiter. But it was after we ordered coffee that Juan surprised us with his comment. Returning to our table to remove the rest of our dishes, Juan paused for a moment and then, with a smile, said slowly and carefully, “I know you are on vacation but I hope that you will take time to appreciate the beauty of God’s creation. I have been a Christian for two years now and I just want you know how important it is to know Jesus.”
            The three of us were speechless. This young fellow loved Jesus so much that he was willing to share Him with others – even if his English was not polished and his pronunciation was a bit shaky. Juan knew the importance of praising the Lord and giving Him glory.  
            Of course, his initiation prompted us to talk about our faith and to share with him that I was a Presbyterian minister. He added that he hoped he had not offended us but he wanted to tell others about the Lord. Even as we thanked him for sharing, I thought to myself, “I’m a Christian but I never even considered such a bold move for Jesus. Juan captured the moment. How many opportunities have I let slip by?”
            This morning our reading is from Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth. The Christian congregation to which Paul writes is a prime example of the diversity found in the early church. Worshiping together were Greeks and Jews, slaves and free, men and women, rich and poor – all united as one by their confession of Jesus as Lord.
            Paul begins, “What I want to talk about now is the various ways God's Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood, but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable.” It is unclear whether or not this section is written in response to a question about spiritual things. What is clear is that in the church of Corinth, as well as in today’s churches, problems arise over spiritual gifts.
            Nowadays, when a person is referred to as “gifted,” it usually means that the individual is better than the norm. There is an expectation of greater promise and potential for success in his or her area of expertise or talent. Our society affirms gifts in different areas like intellectual aptitude and athletic skill and leadership proficiency.
Paul has a very different take on the meaning of giftedness. In fact, he says that there is no betterment with being gifted because, through the Holy Spirit, everyone is gifted. Paul also knows that even though everyone is gifted, people still stumble over the importance of spiritual gifts.
Then and now, the church finds itself divided over their value. Some believe that there is no room for spiritual gifts in the church. Others think that the gifts are proof that a person is “filled with the Spirit.” Most are ambivalent over the need and use of spiritual gifts. There is much controversy and confrontation over what the gifts are, who has what gift, which of the gifts is most important, and why gifts are even needed.
Paul stresses that the gifts create the essential unity needed in the Church. The Church is the Body of Christ and, as we all know, the characteristic of a healthy body is that every part in it performs its own function for the good of the whole.
Remember, unity does not mean uniformity, and therefore within the Church there are different gifts with differing functions. But every one of them is a gift of the same Spirit and designed, not for the glory of the individual member of the Church, but for the good of the whole.
            This means that all of us are called to be involved in ministry. Ministry is not the responsibility of the paid staff; ministry is the work of each and every Christian. Friends, the Holy Spirit has given you a gift. The Holy Spirit has given me a gift. You and I are gifted – by God – for God’s glory! We need to work together using our gifts for the good of the whole church.
            But that’s where the problem begins. Even as we think about the impact gifts make on the good of the church, we find ourselves tempted to question our gift, to diminish our impact on ministry, to dissuade ourselves from getting involved. We doubt the Holy Spirit’s choice for us: “Which gift have I been given? How can I use that gift? What about John? And Jane? Sue? And Peter? Is my gift as important, as powerful, as prestigious as theirs? Will my gift make any difference at all?”
As humans, we are drawn into the belief that some kind of entitlement is connected with spiritual gifts. But that is not the case. Paul is emphatic when he says that we can’t choose our gifts. Each gift is given through the Holy Spirit and it is the Spirit’s choice as to what gift is bestowed on an individual. God knows best how we can serve. We need to trust God’s decision.
The key to spiritual gifts is our acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. When a person invites Christ into his or her life, the Holy Spirit becomes part of that person’s existence. It doesn’t matter what our background is. It doesn’t matter what our nationality is. It doesn’t matter what our gender or our class or our circumstance is. What matters is our response to Jesus.
When we can declare “Jesus is my Lord,” the Holy Spirit dwells in us. Period. Whether we are a faithful church attendee, a deacon, an elder, a Sunday school teacher or a pastor, we have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not just for the Baptist or the Pentecostal or the charismatic Christian. Every person who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior is filled with the Holy Spirit of God. And with the Holy Spirit comes spiritual gifts.
Paul tells us that “God's various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!” (4-7)
            Remember the story about Juan. He is not an eloquent speaker. He is not a pastor or an elder or a deacon. He isn’t even a really good waiter – at least not yet. But he does know Jesus as his Lord.
With that assurance, Juan Filipe is filled with the Holy Spirit. He lives his faith. His words and his deed declare: “Jesus is Lord.” To three strangers Juan daringly stated: “I have been a Christian for two years now and I just want you know how important it is to know Jesus.” Maybe Juan has the gift of faith; maybe he has the gift of knowledge; maybe his gift is the gift of service. Knowing his gift is unimportant. Hearing his humble admission that Jesus is his Lord is powerful and indeed builds up the body of Christ, that is, the church universal.
Sisters and brothers, you are filled with God’s Holy Spirit and you have a spiritual gift. It is your responsibility as well as your privilege to use that gift for the good of Christ’s church. Be bold. Be committed. Be confident.
Spirit-filled people working for God’s glory produce a Church that is vividly alive. Things happen; in fact astonishing things happen. There is nothing dull and ordinary about a Church that lives its faith and proclaims its allegiance to Christ. Friends, put aside the worry about what spiritual gift you may have and how you should us it. Just be open to the Holy Spirit working in you and through you. Juan Filipe is a great example of just that! And like Juan, your gift will be used – for God’s glory.
Amen and amen!