Gifts

This sermon was delivered on Sunday January 14, 2006 at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas.

Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm 36:5-10
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
John 2:1-11

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Ten years ago, about nine months before Marie and I got married, we were invited to the wedding of our friends, Nicole Hernandez and Greg Young.[1] Nicole was the Director of Student Activities and Greg was the Head Basketball Coach at the community college where I worked in Colorado. Marie asked me to be sure to find out where they were registered so that we could get them something nice. So I went down to Nicole’s office and asked where she was registered. She was in a hurry to get to a meeting so she said, “Oh, don’t worry, we have what we want and need,” and she was off. Well, it’s just plain rude to go to a wedding empty handed, we had to get something.

I had an idea, so I checked with Marie and we decided to do something a little different. Instead of getting china, or a setting of the silver, or some serving bowl, we got them a Black and Decker VersaPak Drill. This was one of the first generation of cordless tools made for the home market. It had those removable rechargeable power cells that you could put into any number of different tools.

So imagine if you will… it’s a couple of weeks or so after the wedding, and Nicole and her sister and her mother and Greg were sitting around the house opening the presents. Greg was thrilled. For a guy, there was nothing like sitting around opening wedding presents because you never knew when you would get china, or a setting of the silver, or some serving bowl. Then Nicole opened the drill. She knew what it was, of course, but she was surprised. After all, it wasn't china, or a setting of the silver, or some serving bowl. Greg was overjoyed! Suddenly there was a gift for him! He could hardly wait for the batteries to charge so that he could begin to assemble the buffet cabinet. He was so happy, after a long afternoon of stuff for her; there was finally a gift for him.

Wedding gifts can be a tricky thing. I love a bride who registers and hope that there is still something left on the list by the time we get to the store. The custom of wedding presents was important during Jesus time, maybe even more important than it is today because of the hospitality codes. Jesus had begun his ministry and had just commissioned his disciples. When you get down to brass tacks, an itinerant preacher who has just begun his ministry and commissioned his disciples was probably quite poor. Not bringing a gift did not seem to bother Jesus, it sure bothered his mother. Social graces and hospitality are motherly things to worry about. Anyway, the lack of wine left an opening for Jesus to provide a gift. After motherly prompting, the miracle happens, water becomes wine, and Jesus’ wedding gift is given not just to the wedding party, but to the world. Not just for that day, but for all time. The banquet master is the first to discover this gift. He declares to the groom that his fine taste in wine is a delight, even though he was wasting it on the late hour when no one would be able to appreciate it. It was the custom in that day to bring out the good wine first and when the guests could not tell the difference, bring out the lesser stuff. But anyway, it is a treat; a treat which will be enjoyed.

What strikes me in this passage is the role of the servants, the word we translate as deacon. The way the passage is written, the servants who drew the water into the pitchers, the ones who drew it for the banquet master, drew the liquid with consequences that extend far into the future. And so it is we still talk about “changing water to wine.” I wonder if they knew just how important what they were doing was? I wonder if they could have imagined that the one for whom they are drawing water was the Messiah? How could they?

Giving good gifts is important, and it is important for us that the Lord God is the giver of the greatest gifts. The Lord our God has given us his Son, Jesus Christ, and from them both come the Holy Spirit. This gift is followed by more gifts, the gifts of the Spirit mentioned here in 1Corinthians. And while there are many gifts, there is only one who gives them. There are many different types of service, but only one Lord. There are many different types of activities, but only one God who activates them. According to scripture, each of us is gifted, but there is only one gives such wondrous gifts. Yet the gifts God gives are not only the charismatic signs; the gift is in the work done with the gift as well.

If you remember the story from earlier, a Black and Decker drill is a petty good gift, but it wasn’t until it built the buffet that it begins to meet its potential. Wisdom is not just to be wise and saying, "I would have done that differently." So too the gift to prophesy isn’t just about the ability, it is about the prophecy that follows. Faith and healing are about more than just the ability, it is about the work the gifts require for the benefit of the church and the world.

In the next couple of weeks, we will ordain and install new Elders to the Session. When they are ordained, we will ask if they will fulfill their office in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, guided by the confessions. We will then ask them if they will be faithful elders, watching over the people, providing for their worship, nurture, and service sharing in government and discipline, serving in governing bodies of the church, trying to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ.[2] This is a high calling, and a desperately important one. Surely these new elders are gifted, the nominating committee prays about this during its discernment process. It is not a responsibility taken lightly.

It is tempting to say that there is no higher calling; it would certainly honor both the office and those who serve in it. But that isn't where the honor belongs. We must remember…all service is honored by God, and given to glorify God. So imagine taking these vows: professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, renouncing all evil, and declaring the intent to participate actively and responsibly in the worship and mission of the church. These vows are weighty, important, and substantial. And these are the vows we accepted ourselves, or were accepted on our behalf, when we were baptized.[3] These are the same vows taken when joining this or any other PC (USA) Church.[4] Ordained ministry is a high calling, but we need to remember our first call is to be a Christian, professing Christ, renouncing evil, and working in the worship and mission of the church. There is no higher calling than this.

As foreboding as this sounds, here's the good news, all are gifted. Paul was writing to the church when he said each is gifted. He did not say the pastor is gifted. He did not say the ordained Elders are gifted. He said each is gifted as the Spirit chooses. And the gifts are given to the church for the common good.

About five months before we were married, Marie took me to Pier 1 and Target where we registered. When we went to the hardware section at Target and we registered for a Black and Decker VersaPak drill and VersaPak flash light. While I was looking at some other tools, she asked if I needed one of these. She was holding the VersaPak reciprocating saw. As I have told you before, I love watching “This Old House;” it's one of my favorite shows. And these guys cut things with reciprocating saws I only dream about.

They take down decks. They cut openings through interior and exterior walls. They cut timbers and plumbing. I once saw Master Carpenter Norm Abram demolish an old bump-out kitchen using just a reciprocating saw. I could imagine the damage I could do with one of those things. I looked at the saw and I looked at Marie and I said, "No, and if I ever tell you I need a reciprocating saw, then ask me a lot of questions." There is no good reason for me to have a saw like that. I can work a drill without causing harm, but I have no business with that saw. There are those of you here today that could use that saw, but not me. If we had given that saw to Greg and Nicole, it would have been used, but not to build a buffet. The Spiritual gifts are given this way too; the Spirit gives the church the necessary gifts. And they are given for an intended purpose. If misused, they are not effective. But when God gives a gift, the gift is perfect.

The Spirit then makes people capable of using the gift putting us in places to use the gifts. Not only are all gifted, but the Spirit prepares us, enables us to use those gifts. For some, this leads to ordained ministry, but for many it does not. If this seems difficult, don’t worry. If Jesus can change water to wine, imagine what he can do with us.

As a part of this church, I see people pray, and sing, and play. I have seen people serving at times of joy and times of grief. I have seen people work at Loaves and Fishes. I have seen people act with great compassion, and most of the time this isn’t done by active session members, it is done by members acting with might exercising the gifts of the spirit to fortify the church and to glorify God. The gifts are given to the entire church for the world by God for God’s glory.

Earlier I mentioned the servants at the banquet. While their roles seem quite limited, they were in direct service to Jesus, delivering the fruit of his first public miracle. Imagine the banquet master: Not only did he announce the miracle; he announced it to the groom with joy and bravado. But he makes the announcement with qualification; the gift will not be fully appreciated by those who receive it. This reigns true for us today. We receive gifts that we don't expect or don't recognize—and we aren't fully aware of what they are, or their value, or what to do with them. But Jesus accounts for this. He knew the wine would be perfect and he knew it would not be properly appreciated. And he gave, Jesus gave.

It reassures me that Jesus seemed reluctant to exercise his power. When his mother tells him there is no more wine, he asks, "What’s that to you and to me?" Then he tells his mother that it's not his time, not yet. Yet his mother persists, telling the servers to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. Then he exercises the power and miracles happen. When we use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we are able to do so much more than we can without these gifts. We can do miracles. They may not even be noticed. They certainly may not be appreciated on earth, but when they are exercised, miracles happen for the glory of God, not just by the ordained, but from all members of the church. Not just for the church, but for all of creation. Just as the banquet master proclaimed this wine to be the best, we must glorify the name of the one who provides the wine, and all that the wine represents. The gifts are important, what we do with them is also important, and thanking the one who gives them is vital.

[1] I was given permission to share this story by Greg Young in 2004. Here’s to good friends!
[2] PC(USA) Book of Order, 2005-2007 edition, Governance Section G-14.0207.
[3] Ibid, Directory for Worship, W-3.3603.
[4] Ibid.