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On Sunday, January 21, Pastor Carolyn presented the concept of “GIFTS” as the third vow which we, as United Methodists, take upon ourselves when joining a local congregation.
And while you may not have realized it, she showed courageous leadership in how she chose to do so.
“Why do you say that?,” one might well ask …
Because Carolyn eschewed the easy and obvious and aimed for something deeper. Because she didn’t turn her sermon into a sales pitch (no offense intended to all those who make a living in the field), but rather, took the time to explore how each of us have been given particular gifts which can be made available for the work of the in-breaking reign of God!
Do you realize how easy it would have been to have made this past Sunday’s sermon into a message all about our financial obligations as a church member? It could have become a lesson about the biblical tradition of tithing 10% of our income to the church. Or she could have explained how our gifts and offerings go to underwrite essential operations and functions of our life together. Or it could have become an exposition on how all the financial blessings of our lives are truly ours in trust only, held in stewardship but for the time being at best.
And that would have been the common thing to do, because – I can promise you this – the burden of a congregation’s financial health always weighs very, very heavily on the shoulders of a senior pastor. It isn’t a burden she/he/they shoulder alone, but it is a constant weight nonetheless, I assure you.
So, the easy way this past Sunday would have been for our Senior Pastor to make her sermon on “GIFTS” into a lecture on how the church needs you to support it with your money.
But I am convinced that our Pastor wanted to go deeper, wanted to delve into a richer vein. I believe she wanted to explore, illustrate, even celebrate how each and every one of us – every one of YOU – represents a unique and unrepeatable creation in the hands of a loving God. And as such, each and every one of us has been gifted with talents and abilities that we can either choose to employ solely for our own benefit, or place at the disposal of the congregation.
Weren’t you awed by the lineup of volunteers who stood before us during worship on Sunday, each having consented to serve in a leadership role for the coming year? The lineup stretched across the entire front of the room!
As Carolyn reminded us on Sunday, echoing the Apostle Paul, many parts make up the body, and each part has a special and unique role to play. The body is lessened by any one part’s absence, and is made more capable when all the parts work together as one, in common purpose.
I don’t know if you think of yourself as “gifted” or not. But I know this: you are! It may be a gift that you’ve had since birth, something that you’ve known about yourself since your earliest recollection. Or it may be a talent or capability that you have cultivated throughout your life, via effort and sacrifice and hard work. Either way, you ARE gifted. And your giftedness is something that God wants to leverage for God’s own benevolent purposes.
Our task as faithful disciples and church members is to identify what our gifts are and how they might be employed on behalf of the mission and ministry of the church.
And that is very, very exciting news. Because that means we get to celebrate and share in all of God’s good gifts TOGETHER, all the year through!
Grace & Peace –
Andy
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