2^nd Sunday after Epiphany 2010                Christ Church , York

The church was divided. Each congregation had its own understanding of the matter at hand. One congregation thought it knew best, but others did not agree. Bickering and infighting were common. It was not a good situation and Paul is concerned. So he writes to the church at Corinth to speak about unity in the Spirit, a unity which is reflected in the variety of gifts each member has. “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters…” Paul begins. Sadly it was the issue of the Lords Supper which had divided these Christians, one congregation fighting with another over what the Eucharist meant and when it should be eaten. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, there was also rivalry among these congregations over whose spiritual gifts were greater, each member of the different factions trying to make their position the dominant one in the Church as a whole.

The problem was not that the members had different opinions among themselves about one thing or another. The problem was that these different opinions were leading to conflict and division within the Church. Such divisions between groups within the Church are not new and have plagued us from the beginning. And sad to say they continue to this very day as we see even this Evangelical Lutheran Church in America being torn and strained by the divisions arising out the decisions made last year regarding human sexuality. And in this we are not alone as we watch so many other denominations and Christians bodies also being torn asunder over this issue or that. Mark Twain was said to have been disturbed at all the discord among God’s creatures so he decided to experiment with the problem. He began by putting a dog and a cat together in a cage. He wrote that within the hour he had taught the cat and the dog to be friends. In another hour he had added a rabbit and taught all three to be friends. Within several days he was able to add a fox, a goose, a squirrel and some doves. Finally he added a monkey to the mix. They all lived together affectionately. Encouraged, Twain next decided to experiment with religion. In another cage he confined an Irish Catholic, a Scottish Presbyterian, a Muslim, a Methodist, a Buddhist and a Salvation Army Colonel. He stayed away for two days and then came home to record the results. Not a single specimen was left alive! Twain’s somewhat tongue in cheek story speaks a word of truth about the divisions that exist in world of faith.

And it was because of what such divisions could do, that Paul appeals to the various congregations at Corinth to therefore come together in unity, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to put aside their divisions and disagreements. For, as Paul points out, the Church is in need of all the spiritual gifts that have been offered to it and so there should be no arguing over whose gift is greater. Indeed, as Paul, points out, all the gifts are activated by one and the same Spirit and all gifts work in tandem with each other for the common good. Each person has a charism, or gift, not for his or her own good or advantage over someone else, but for the good of the whole community as it witnesses to the Lord Jesus Christ. In short we are all called to be partners with the Holy Spirit in the work of Christ.

And this partnership in the Spirit comes to us through the partnership that already exists in the Holy Trinity, a partnership that is expressed when Paul says that there are a variety of gifts but the same Spirit; and there are a variety of services but the same Lord; and there are a variety of activities but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. Together in partnership, the Father, Son and Spirit share their gifts with us, so that we might share in their partnership and with each other. We echo that partnership every time we gather for worship and greet each other in the name of the Triune God. For when I greet you with the words “The grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all” and you respond “And also with you,” we are echoing that same partnership that we share in and through the Holy Trinity. And we say these words at the beginning of the worship service, because we want to emphasize that such partnership is the basis of the Christian community; indeed it makes partnership possible. Paul seeks unity in the midst of division and chaos. The Spirit we all share calls for us to live in community with each other in this body we call the church. This does not mean that we paper over our serious differences nor does it mean that we all simply go along to get along. When the truth of the faith has been broken, when the ancient moral standards of the church have been set aside, when error is preached as truth and falsehood replaces the commandments of our God, then we are called to speak to our brothers and sisters in truth and in love. But in that speaking we should first recall that we are all baptized into a new relationship in Jesus Christ and in that baptism we share in His life, death and resurrection. From that death and resurrection and our common acclamation of Jesus Christ as Lord, this community of faith, and all others like it, become the first fruits of that resurrection and the place where we are called to manifest that new life as partners with Christ in a life of service and hospitality to others. The spiritual gifts we are given therefore are for the common good of the congregation and its mission to offer Christ’s welcome by its word and work. That does not mean that all will have the same gifts, but rather that the different gifts of the Spirit contribute to partnership in worship and service. The manifold gifts of the Spirit are evident among us given that it takes fully one quarter of our worship body each Sunday to volunteer all their various gifts and graces simply to make our time here work, as all use those gifts for the common good. We may not all agree on everything all the time. But we can work together for the common good of all, using those same gifts to enrich the one body. The different gifts are not an occasion of pride. Instead they remind us that all the members of the church are partners in Christ's resurrected body and that all variety of gifts and members are needed.

We have of the variety of gifts and these gifts are to be used in partnership with the Spirit to build up the body of Christ which is the Church. Two important events, both occurring tomorrow, allow us to reflect upon how these gifts can be used together for the coming good. The first of these is the annual celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King. The “spiritual gifts” of which Paul speaks are limited to something spiritual or otherworldly. Rather these gifts are grounded in the ongoing life of the Church where true worship includes putting one’s body on the line as an offering to God. Martin Luther King may not have been the perfect human being, but we honor him for offering his life for the sake of others in the world and how it was that he drew all together – black and white, rich and poor, young and old – sharing with them a dream of unity in this land and inviting them to use their gifts for the building up of the nation.

The second event also occurs tomorrow when we begin the annual celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We have already spoken of the disagreements in the Christian body, a division which has only grown over the past 2,000 plus years to the point where there are now more than 22,000 recognized Christian traditions throughout the world. Such divisions within the one Body of Christ are a scandal to the world and we are called to make every effort to bridge those gaps wherever and whenever possible. Again without compromising our own beliefs or understanding, we are called to discover such partnerships in the Spirit as makes it possible for us to welcome one another and to use our gifts of the Spirit to create a vibrant community of hospitality where all would find a welcome in the name of Christ Our Lord. In the wake of the devastation in Haiti it is good to see, especially in this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, that Lutheran World Relief is working right along side, Catholic Social Services, the World Methodist Alliance and the World Baptist agencies, all of them setting aside differences to work toward the common good. For the gifts of one church body are no better than the gifts of another but rather that all the gifts are necessary for the building up of the body. This is indeed a variety of gifts that bless and enhance the one Body of Christ which we call the Church.

Paul’s word to the Church at Corinth makes it clear that the Church is not made up of plastic individuals all shaped from the same mold. Instead in this Church there is a diversity of followers, none with superiority over others, but instead all contributing to the fullness of the life of the Body. And for each member, for you and for me, that means accepting and using the special gift that has been given to you for the sake of the whole community. “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uniformed.” Thanks be to the God who has gifted us through His Holy Spirit and who, through that same Spirit calls us to share those gifts with others for the building up of the whole community. That is the partnership to which we have been called in our baptism. May God grant us the grace to use those gifts for all. Amen