Readings for Epiphany
2C:
Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 96; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John 2:1-11
January 18, 2004
The Rev. Mary B. Blessing
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
Today we continue our series on "The Purpose Driven Life", based on a book by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church. Warren's book encourages people to find their purpose in life as they bring glory to God. To bring glory to God is to live a spiritually mature life. So, how do we "bring glory to God"? Warren says we bring glory to God in 5 ways: listed on your bulletin insert: Discipleship, Ministry, Fellowship, Worship and Evangelism. Last week Pastor Karen took a look at Discipleship, encouraging us to become like Christ through our personal relationship with God in Christ and in our Christ-like behavior toward others. Today we will consider how we glorify God through serving others using our spiritual gifts and personal abilities. We call such service "Ministry."
Often, when we hear the word "ministry" we think of an ordained person who receives a special call, like a priest or a nun. Yet, when Paul in New Testament uses the word ministry, it is actually the same as the word for "service." In our reading from 1 Corinthians today, Paul says "there are varieties of services, but the same Lord." (1 Cor. 12:7) In place of the word "services" we could translate as "ministries." What Paul says is: each one of us who is baptized into Christ is given at least one Spiritual Gift which is to be used to the service of God, for the ministry of God. Each one of us is a minister--we each have a ministry. Ordination is not the mark of a minister, baptism is.
So, if you've been baptized, you have a ministry, you are a minister. For you to be a person "fully alive", you must activate this ministry. If you do not activate this ministry within you, you may never experience a "purpose driven life." Now, you may be sitting there thinking, "but wait a minute, I was a baby when I was baptized, I had no choice in the matter." That may be true, but you are here now. The fact that you are here in Christian community means you have an opportunity to activate that ministry to bring glory to God, to become a purpose-driven, mature Christian, living out what your parents intended when they spoke for you at your baptism. Sometimes our parents want something for us that cannot be actualized until we ourselves choose to offer ourselves up for God's purposes, and then we have the will and the means to make it happen. Sort of like what Jesus did when his mother asked him to turn water into wine.
Jesus' mother seems to know that Jesus has special gifts, special abilities, that will allow him to help the wedding host. She does not name these special abilities, she simply assumes he can provide wine where there is no wine. She orders the servants to "Do whatever he tells you." At first, Jesus resists his mother's plea for help, he seems unwilling to get involved. Then Jesus sees the six stone water jars and tells the servants to fill them. After they have done this somewhat arduous work of filling the large, heavy jars with water (probably from a village well), he then instructs them to "draw a glass" and take it to the chief steward. The chief steward, who seems a lot like you or me, is quite skeptical of this liquid he is drinking. How in the world did the host of this party, the bridegroom, come up with such delicious wine toward the end of the party? It just isn't done! The steward does not do what Jesus' disciples do--he seeks a rational answer for the host's irregular behavior. Jesus' disciples, on the other hand, recognize the revelation of God in this glorious flow of wine. Jesus' disciples recognize the power of the Holy Spirit working through Jesus in new and unexpected ways. Jesus listened for the time and opportunity to glorify God through his service, to activate his ministry. Having heard the call of God in this invitation to serve, and deciding the time was right, Jesus acts in what appears to be a simple and normal way: using the spiritual gift of leadership, Jesus takes charge of getting water into water jars--God does the rest.
Rick Warren says we are all called to listen to God encouraging us to use our gifts and abilities, our talents and our passions, to serve others for the glory of God. That is, to bring about transformation of the world through individual transformation of our lives. He says, "You were shaped to serve God." If you accept your assignment to serve God, to serve beyond yourself, that is when you discover the uniqueness of who you are. You are a particular shape, one that is YOU, like no one else.
In order to activate the service (ministry) in you that creates the unique shape you are, Rick Warren says you must consider 5 factors that uniquely combine to make you. He created a simple acrostic to help explain these: the acrostic is SHAPE:
S Spiritual Gifts. Unwrap our spiritual gifts and use them! You did not earn these nor do you deserve them-that is why they are GIFTS! They are an expression of God's grace living within you, but gifts are only realized when you use them. Paul says in I Cor. 12: 8: "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good,"
H Heart. Did you know that every single person's heart beat is unique? Just as we each have a unique thumbprint and eye print, our hearts beat in a unique pattern. The Bible uses the term heart to describe various things-our dreams, ambitions, interests-what we value, what we feel passionate about. It is possible that the very thing you feel most passionate about has been placed into your heart by God. Listen to the inner promptings of your heart, but always remember to "serve the Lord with all your heart" and "Love God with all your heart." If you love God with all your heart, and find a passion that serves the common good, chances are this passion is of God. Find a place to offer your passion in the building up the body of Christ. And go do it!
A Abilities. These are the natural talents you were born with. Some people are good with words, some are good with numbers, others have special abilities as musicians, some are excellent athletes, others can paint a portrait, some can build a house. Whatever your ability, "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God," says Paul. (I Cor. 10:31) Abilities are not the same as spiritual gifts, because abilities are "natural" to us; we are born with them. Spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit as needed. Abilities are important, as are spiritual gifts, in shaping God's purpose in your life. But you must use your abilities to the glory of God if you are to fulfill God's purpose, and not just your own purpose for your own self-interested goals.
P Personality. Each person has a unique personality. We all have a basic temperament that our personality expresses-and God uses all temperaments for ministry. There is no one ideal personality that we must all emulate-just take a look at the variety of personalities among Jesus' disciples. Impetuous Peter, curious Phillip, doubting Thomas, competitive James, elitist Nathaniel. Whatever your personality, offer yourself to the glory of God, and God will use you!
E: Experience. Whatever your life experience, good, bad or indifferent, you are shaped by them. God uses whatever your experiences are in life to draw you closer to his purposes, to allow your experience to teach not only you but others more about how God works in the lives of those who give themselves to God's service. Your growing up, your educational experience, your work experience, your spiritual experiences, your past ministry experiences-anything you have done helps shape who you are now and how God can further shape you to God's glory as your fulfill your life purpose. Even your most painful experiences of life will not go wasted, as God uses all of life's experiences to God's glory.
Considered people you know who are living spiritually mature lives. People who have activated their spiritual gifts, who have listened to their hearts and follow their passion, people who know their abilities (and their limitations) and have offered these abilities to God's service, people who understand their personality, accept who they are and encourage others to be all that they are, and finally, people who have taken their life experience and used what they have learned to benefit others. Ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary things following their passion?
Can you think of anyone like this?
I can think of many people like this at St. Jude's. Today I want to mention two people in our congregation who in their unique ways seem to be able to work miracles by simply living this kind of spiritually mature life.
One of these two has even won the recognition of his ministry ability while working at the center of a secular job: Dave Knapp, the City Manager of Cupertino, and a Vestry member here at St. Jude's. Dave was given front page recognition in our local paper, where the by-line expresses it all "City Ministry." When the secular world, especially in a government agency, recognizes and articulates the observation of someone who lives out his sense of call to God through public service, you know miracles can happen! What a powerful witness to what is possible when one activates one's SHAPE for the glory of God, for the common good.
The other person I'm thinking of now is our Treasurer, Liz Jones. Liz has fully activated all she is with her spiritual gifts, her heart, her abilities, her personality and her experience to give service to the common good of St. Jude's as our Financial Officer. In so doing, as you will see if you attend our annual meeting next week, Liz has opens up the way for God to work miracles with our stewardship dollars. Liz has also been a powerful spiritual witness in living with cancer, and encouraging others who live with cancer. I thank God for Liz each day.
It is your choice, take inventory of your life, your spiritual gifts, your abilities, your experiences, your personality, and then consult your heart. Where does your heart tell you to offer those gifts and abilities with passion, for the good of others, to the glory of God? Chances are, where your heart leads, there you will find God, ready to ignite a purpose driven life.
AMEN.
| Updated 1/23/04 |
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