Selected to Serve - by Joel Hempel Every month during the summer in the inner-city of Cincinnati, our church hosted a picnic for our members and neighbors. A tradition at each picnic was a softball game. Having unpleasant memories of being chosen among the last half of organized teams at school when I was a kid, I wasn’t going to let that happen in our church games. So, I selected the players for each team, mixing up the least and most able-bodied athletes on the field, ensuring everyone got to play. Something similar happens not only in the Church as a whole, but also in local congregations. As we heard in the Pentecost Epistle lesson from 1 Corinthians, there are people with differing gifts,1 gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit. Whether you are a member of a church or a regular attender, God chose you and brought you (or wants to bring you) to a particular church for a reason.2 Those gifts within individual Christians are not only for one’s personal satisfaction and benefit. Our Spirit-infused gifts are for the building up of the body of Christ.3 That local community of believers needs you! There are multiple benefits to church membership or fellowship. And there are responsibilities! In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of the “talents” or spiritual gifts.4 It’s worth noting that he teaches this lesson at the end of his ministry, meaning it was a crucial lesson for his disciples to learn. He was preparing disciples – then and now – to take over upon receiving the Holy Spirit. What’s the lesson of the parable? Use your God-given gifts to the glory of God and in service of His mission. Whether you have a lot or a little, invest in God! As noted in the footnote verses, we are not gifted and then left on our own to figure out what to do with our multiple blessings. We have the Holy Spirit and His guidance. The grace of God that called and chose us for the Christian Church is the same grace that now enlightens and equips us for the mission and ministry set before us.
1. 1 Corinthians 12 2. 1 Corinthians 12:18, 24b-25. 3. Ephesians 4:4-16; Ephesians 2:10. 4. Matthew 25:14-30 |
