January 15 2017 “Baby Gifts”

January 15 2017 “Baby Gifts” Isaiah 49.1-7, *I Corinthians 1.1-9 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Apostle Paul was a very traditional Jew. [slide # 1 Jew with prayer cloth etc. ] Like most males he was raised to protect himself and his family, using force if necessary. Paul did not have a gun, but he probably carried some type of weapon. He would fight ferociously for his God-given rights and he would fight fearlessly for his faith. Paul was as fierce as his Maker. Paul was also ingeniously gentle as God is. His letter to the people at Corinth brought out the best in him.

Corinth was a very worldly place. No doubt you could find all kinds of moral filth and ungodly activity going on in Corinth. Corinth was a nasty place. It had to be hard to get anything good done in Corinth, for many Corinthians did not share the same values as Christians and Jews.

First of all, Paul looked different than other Corinthians. [slide # 2 Jew with prayer cloth -duplicate of slide # 1] When he worshipped, he wore the precious and sacred symbols of connection to God. The phylacteries were little black boxes worn on his head and wrapped around his biceps. They contained scriptures reminding him to stay strong in God. The prayer shawl symbolically covered him in God’s presence and the tassels on the four corners were to remind him of God’s commands wherever they went on the four corners of the world, so they would not, as chapter 15 of the book of Numbers says, ‘prostitute themselves by chasing after the lusts of their own hearts and eyes.’

Jewish traditions have evolved through the years [slide# 3 Jewish feast] whether it be with a wig for convenience [slide# 4 wig wringlets] ,  yamakas that include praying women [slide # 5 woman wearing yamaka] or high fashion for the Jewish youth. [slide # 6 black hat]

Of course, some traditions are more noticeable or controversial than others. Having conflicts around how people look has always been a challenge for humanity. When I taught in the Baltimore school system, a Sikh was teaching down the hall. [slide  # 7 Sikh with red turban]

His Sikh [slide # 8 sikh] tradition was developed thousands of years ago in India. Their guru leaders believed in the unity of human kind and regular meditation to center the soul for service. The Sikhs were instructed by their spiritual gurus to never cut their hair, so they should wear a turban in order to protect their hair. The turban became such an important part of their faith in God that even when they fought in the British army or rode bikes in the city, they fought hard for the right to wear turbans as their spiritual protection instead of helmets for their physical protection.

This teacher I saw in Baltimore was a Sikh, not a Muslim, but the sacred turban he wrapped around his head [slide # 9 toddlers wearing turbans] reminded the children of the kufiyah that Muslims like Osama Bin Laden wrapped around their heads. [slide # 10 Osama Bin Laden] Whenever the children saw the Sikh coming, they would run in the other direction, screaming and terrified. The Sikh was gone in two days, and hopefully, found another place to do good work without being misunderstood and rejected or persecuted.

In a place like Corinth, there is always someone who seems odd to others. There is always some politics or conflict or opinion about what people do and how they do it! We may decide to accept or reject someone for a million different reasons. Whether we accept or whether we reject, we do well to do our best to be led by the Holiest of Spirits.

In the best of times, we get to know and understand others better when we work with them or live with them or worship with them. When we become familiar and knowledgeable, we can make better decisions about how to relate to them.

In the worst of times, we are concerned, even afraid. We want to accept all people, but something real may be holding us back. It is then, as at all times that we want to make use of all the spiritual gifts God has given us, even if our gifts are itsy bitsy baby beginner gifts. Paul says in verse 7 that the Christians in Corinth were not lacking in any spiritual gift. That means that they had learned to develop their gifts. [ slide # 11 verse 7…] and they could make the most of every situation that was before them.

God gives us gifts to make the church strong, to make our families strong, and to make our communities strong. God guides us in opportunities to use our gifts wisely. [slide# 12 basketball court]

The church in Corinth was well equipped and willing to do great things for God. They were prepared and ready to do and say and serve wherever God needed them. [slide # 13 pushing a wall in place] They heard God’s call and were careful to think before they acted. They could not just rely on a knee-jerk reaction. They could not hide behind their fears and prejudices. They had to talk together [ slide# 14 in conversation] and think together [slide # 15 thinking – bulb] as well as pray together [slide # 16 several at altar] in order to be the blessing God had in mind, in order to weather the storms, in order to be a source of healing and deliverance when needed.

In every church and every family and every community there is much that is needed to be done and much that is needed to be said and much that is needed to be served.

At Bethel we are known for gifts of teaching, generosity, encouragement, and helps. Our weekly giving indicates that there are several who obey God’s direction to tithe and give special offerings. We have nine Christian education classes from infants to seniors and one more adult class was announced last week, making ten.

Our members who work on the Compassionate Care Team [slide # 17 Team] are extraordinary, exceptional, and out of this world when it comes to providing a ride, a meal, an act of kindness, or a word of comfort, and a whole lot more. Our Board of Trustees spends countless hours and dollars from their own pockets to maintain our parsonage and sanctuary. [slide# 18 many working around building] If they were not true servants, our church just might look abandoned like this one. [ Slide # 19 abandoned church] or fallen down, like this one. [ slide # 20 fallen church building]

It is a mystery to me how our Audio [slide # 21 audio…] and Finance Teams [slide# 22 keep calm…finance team] find the time and resources to do what they do every single week. God is pleased! We work hard and we work with exceptional excellence and diligence. We are blessed to serve and those who are just beginning to think about using their gifts, even if those gifts seem small, I encourage you to act boldly. Just go ahead and reach out and start asking God how to go about blessing others with your gifts. We will all be stronger as a result. [slide # 23 stronger together]

When we all do our part, whether great or small, we bring light where there is no light. We need lots of light in the church. The story is told of the old days when churches were lit with lanterns. The church had as much light as each member could bring. If you did not show up, your corner of the sanctuary was noticeably dark. [slide # 24 lanterns at pew]

We need the light of God’s word and will in our path. [slide # 25 white path] There are many things that we need to see. We need to see how to be gentle and careful when someone is going through something. We need to see how important every little blessing is to keeping the church strong and faithful. Every little prayer, every little kindness, matters. The more of God we have, the more light we have to see and appreciate the great work God is doing among us. [slide # 26 lit green path]

So as we go forth, let us stay in the light of God’s love, let us shine, shine, shine [slide# 27 shining light] and use our gifts boldly so until they sparkle! [Slide # 28 blue sparkling light] Amen. [slide # 29 seeking all servants]