During this season of Epiphany, following the declaration that God has become flesh and entered the world, we are exploring what it means to be the church – the bearers of the light that has entered the world.  We have examined our commitment to Christ in the Wesleyan covenant service, and celebrated our baptism into the life, death and resurrection of Christ.  Today, we begin to explore the meaning of belonging to the community called church.

Once, in another congregation, I was gathered in the parlor with a number of church members, leading a Bible study.  I mentioned spiritual gifts, and one of the women said, “What is a spiritual gift?”  This woman had probably belonged to the church for forty years or more, and had been exercising spiritual gifts as she participated in the church for all of that time, but she readily confessed that she had no idea what Paul was talking about in the 12th Chapter of 1st Corinthians.

The point of this is to say that our mainline denominational tradition hasn’t explored until recent years the theology of church articulated by Paul in his letters to the early Christian communities.  We have enjoyed the imagery – but we haven’t claimed it as our own.  In fact, we’ve been a little uncomfortable with it.  Spiritual gifts are the foundation of Pentecostalism, and we are a bit wary of outbursts of the Spirit.  They are not consistent with the Methodist approach to faith, which is, well – methodical.  Pentecostal traditions have often arisen out of a parting of the ways with more methodical folk; divisions in the Christian community have happened more than once because some gifts were affirmed and others were rejected.

That is exactly the situation Paul is facing in the Corinthian church.  Some are claiming that their gift is superior, that their contribution to the life of the church is more important than the contributions of others, and that, therefore, they themselves should have a place of priority in the life of the church.  In the case of Corinth, it was the gift of speaking in tongues, an obvious and visible gift, that people were feeling superior for having possessed.  I don’t know about others, but I have never encountered a difficulty in the United Methodist church with speaking in tongues!

That is not to say that there aren’t problems with persons feeling as though they ought to have a place of priority in the life of the church.  Occasionally someone will assert that their length of membership, or the amount of their annual giving, or their ancestral heritage, or the amount of time they volunteer should allow them to exert special privilege or influence.  As it turns out, Paul’s solution to the problem of charismatic gifts, his beautiful analogy of the Body of Christ, is helpful for those situations, too.

As Paul speaks of the activity of the Spirit it is hard to miss the theme or organization and unity.  The spirit gives unity to the diversity that exists in the church.  Remember, for Paul, this is a multi-cultural phenomenon, this new community of Christians.  Jews and Greeks and men and women and rich and poor and slave and free are all existing together.  Paul is asserting that no individual has more or less privilege or potential than any other in this community – because the Spirit is a unifying presence.

If we learn anything from this part of Paul’s argument it perhaps should be that our desire that others conform to a dominant cultural standard are antithetical to the work of God’s Spirit.  The Spirit doesn’t erase or eradicate differences – the Spirit creates unity within diversity.  The church has been too much captured by American individualism, and too little committed to manifesting an inclusive spirit in every aspect of its life.  We are easily tempted by our cultural values to become a loosely organized federation of groups who share common interests and characteristics and too little committed to seeking community with those whose preferences are not our own.

Our usual reference point for determining status is turned upside down in this place called church.  Here the strong serve the week, the inferior help the superior, and all rejoice together.

Our individualistic tendencies are revealed when we develop loyalty to one particular part of the life of the church, and neglect attending to the whole.  We are loyal to one pastor, and when they leave, we leave.  Or we are loyal to one worship service, or one choir, or one Sunday School class – and will permit that loyalty not to build up the health of the whole, but to divide us from it.

Paul will have none of that.  Relationships within the whole body are paramount for Paul; the health of the whole body is critically important.  Why?  Because the church is not a collection of individuals – it is the Body of Christ.  For Paul, this is not just a metaphor.  It is the Body of Christ.

That is, the physically real presence in the world of Jesus Christ, who is proclaimed the Son of God, and whose life, death and resurrection inaugurate the kingdom of God.  What he did – we are supposed to do.  Together.  We are the baby born in the manger.  We are the teacher, healer, feeder of the multitudes walking the neighborhood.  We are the crucified, wounded, resurrected and healed one.  We are the Body of Christ.  And each members of it.

So the spirit gives gifts for the purpose of building up the Body to be effective in re-presenting Christ to the world.  The gifts are distributed individually to believers – but always for the common good.  Everyone in the church must be empowered to belong, to act, to exercise their individuality – but all those empowered must aim for the common good.

It follows from this analogy that the body is less than whole and healthy when any individuals withhold their participation, as is so often the case when our individuality is given priority.  It follows as well that the body is less than whole and healthy when some who wish to contribute their presence and their gifts are turned away at the door because they are individually not like us.

The spirit cannot thrive in such an environment.

Paul asserts that every member of the Body is given a gift?  Do you know your spiritual gifts?  Paul asserts that every member’s contribution is important to the health of the whole.

This is so, so incredibly true.  The church relies on the shared gifts of its members almost totally.  I am a pastor because the role of pastor aligns well with my spiritual gifts of administration, teaching and discernment.  How do I know those gifts?  There are actual questionnaires that you can complete to discover your gifts – but often they can be figured out by asking yourself such questions as:

1. what am I naturally good at doing?
2. what things do I do about which people comment favorably?
3. what brings me joy and gives me energy, even if it makes me physically tired?
4. what do I do that truly helps the church?

Next Sunday, the youth are going to lead us in worship and examine the call to discipleship.  Then, in early February, we are going to do this:

We are going to work together to help every member shine the Christ light of epiphany.

• know your gifts:  the first week of February, we’ll assess spiritual gifts
• find your place in the church:  the second week of February, we’ll celebrate all the ministries that need people to power them.
• use your gift to let your light shine:  you can sign up to participate, serve or lead in any number of ministry areas.

In “Showing the Body:  Reflections on 1st Corinthians 12 – 13 for Epiphany” Dennis Ormseth (Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary, St. Paul) writes this: Our country stands at a critical moment.  When Barack Obama is sworn in as President, we will have affirmed the gifts of a man who couldn’t even vote in many states fifty years ago.  When he speaks to us, he is going to call forth from us the best we have to give to renew the promise of this country.

This is, I think, a unique opportunity for the church.  Churches are ready made communities of persons already called and equipped to serve.  We must never serve narrow, nationalistic self interests, but must bear witness that the interests of the whole human community are of the highest import – because God so loved the world.

Our ability to witness to God’s dream is only as strong as our commitment to this local, particular, contextual, graced and gifted community of faith.

It is an exciting time to be concerned with the gifts of God’s spirit.  May we be worthy of these days.  Amen.