January 24, 2025

Eucharist – Epiphany 2 – 19 January 2025

Preached by Ms Leslie Spatt Gifts and abilities – all are important! One of the more irritating sentences which I hear depressingly frequently is the one with the phrase ‘…but…

Preached by Ms Leslie Spatt

Gifts and abilities – all are important!

One of the more irritating sentences which I hear depressingly frequently is the one with the phrase ‘…but you’re only a…..fill in the blank – housewife, student, layperson, secretary, streetsweeper, woman…’ choose what you want. It’s usually spoken by someone who’s attempting to prevent another person doing a job or activity or entering a profession. A put-down, belittling sort of phrase. And all too often said by someone who’s already doing the activity, and is either insecure in their ability to do it, or imagines a threat to their position or authority.

Sadly, this same phrase is also sometimes used by the one doing the offering; ‘I’m only a …fill in the blank….’ people might say, because they’re unsure of their own abilities – their gifts; are afraid that they’re not up to the task in question or have actually been told that they’re inadequate and unsuitable. Or what they want to give or do isn’t worth much.

There are many aspects of having gifts, but not being able or allowed to use, display or offer them. Or actively discouraged from developing gifts we think we might have. I suspect many of us have been on the receiving end of this negativity. Human jealousy is one destructive reason; and we can also be guilty of dishing this out. If we’re faced with a potential rival, deep down there’s lots of us who don’t really like it when others are as good as or better than we are at something.

St Paul, dealing with what sounds like a clique-ridden, contentious and highly diverse bunch of people in the infant Corinthian church, is trying to get them to see that all of them are supposed to be walking on the same path together. Not trying to outshine each other, or be more holy, or argue about the value of what everyone is contributing to the church community. Paul is talking about spiritual gifts, but his basic thought can be applied to life outside the church as well.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.

When it comes to this thing called ‘church’, everyone has a part to play in proclaiming, building up, and helping to bring about the Kingdom of God. We’re all needed. That message is repeated over and over again in Paul’s letters, and shown in Jesus’s inclusiveness for everyone: righteous, sinners, women, men, children. Those who try to live a proper, law-abiding life as well as less respectable characters, those who are pushed aside by others, people who are on the rough edges of society, people at the centre of power and influence.

The gifts we’re given are many and varied. Our abilities are different, we don’t or indeed can’t all do the same thing, or even do many things equally successfully. Just as well – the section of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians following the reading this morning is about all parts of the body being necessary for it to work properly. It would be pretty useless if we all claimed we were healers, or miracle workers, and could do without the other needed things. And the implication is that there shouldn’t be a hierarchy of greater or lesser gifts and tasks – all are equally important. Everything, everyone needs to work together so that there will be firm foundations, a unified creation, and a healthy body growing, through love, into the fullness of the Kingdom. Helping God to transform the world into what God wants it to be.

The gifts listed here are what’s called manifestations of the Spirit: wisdom, knowledge, faith, prophecy, interpretation. Some are definitely given these gifts of the Spirit as Paul describes. But think about it: how many times do we, even in church, divide the things people do into categories of “important” or “minor” or even trivialise – kindly of course – some tasks as “oh, anyone can do that.” Think about it – who might we automatically assume is the most important or essential person in church? Well, we usually say, the Vicar, naturally. In some ways, perhaps. The vicar is the designated leader, the one who’s been chosen and authorised to look after those in church, and bond with the local community outside church. But, just to take one example, what would happen if a first time visitor to this church was ignored when she walked in, or was left to find his own service sheet and hymn book, sat down and wasn’t greeted, wasn’t helped to feel included, or was ignored and left alone at coffee time? That visitor almost certainly wouldn’t make a return visit. A healthy ministry of welcome is vital to congregational life. Sunday mornings or choral evensong wouldn’t be “choral” or as full or enjoyable without the musicians. Spiritual gifts are certainly needed – but also other ones which are essential both inside and outside the Church.

We may feel – or been told – that we have no spiritual or useful gifts at all, although in church the welcomer at the door, the holy dusters, the flower team, musicians, the coffee makers and others are all ministering to everyone in their different but just as significant ways as the Vicar. And, more importantly, even designated leaders like vicars aren’t good at everything.

A diocesan bishop – not Southwark I hasten to add! – made the unfortunate statement that he felt ordained ministry was being undermined by the blossoming of lots of lay ministers, some of whom were actually – shock, horror – more gifted at preaching, teaching, leading, pastoring and administration than clergy. Now, you might feel that’s an objectionable, pompous and arrogant complaint which doesn’t help in building up the Body of Christ. I certainly did when I read it. We may not think we can offer much in the way of official ministry or spiritual gifts. However, in reality, we volunteer or train for many things at different points in our lives. We might think that we’re especially good at one of them and want to become more deeply involved in developing it, serving God through service to others.

In the world, those of us who live out the Gospel by treating people as Jesus would treat them are evangelising, being enabled by the Spirit to proclaim our faith by what we show and do. Whistle-blowers who have the courage to stand up and say “that’s wrong and I won’t have it, I’m going to try to put things right” are the modern prophetic interpreters who get reviled and fired from their jobs but still carry on because they see injustices, reprehensible or even criminal behaviour going uncorrected.

So here I am preaching – that’s a gift. And here are you making music, or praying or listening, reading, welcoming, looking out for each other. All of these activities are gifts. We all work together, we all need to work together as one body. Gifts are always nice to receive, and the Spirit actually gives many more gifts than the ones in the reading this morning. But what are they for? Not for personal reward or of being thought important. no – they are: To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.

The Spirit activates the gifts in all of us so we can use them for the common good. We might think what we offer isn’t worth much. Not true! It doesn’t matter to God what value humans put on gifts or services. Here’s the challenge for all of us: make our ‘call to action’ a real attempt to ban that belittling phrase, ‘you’re only a …..’ or even worse ‘I’m only a….’ and find what the Spirit has given to each and every one of us.

Let’s discover the gifts – and then use them!

Leslie Spatt © 2025

 

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