May 10, 2013
The afternoon worship message given by Rev. Donald Ng at the PCBA 2014 Spring Conference, “Igniting Our Gifts for Service,” Shell Ridge Community Church, Walnut Creek, CA.
One of my favorite movies especially watching with our grandchildren is Tinker Bell! The first Tinker Bell movie by Disney tells the story of how Tinker Bell was born from the first laugh of an infant on a winter night. When Tinker Bell arrived in Pixie Hollow, the place where fairies live, she needed to discover what her gift is. There’s this ritual where she would fly in front of the different pedestals and if it’s her natural gift, the token would show brightly.
Tinker Bell wanted to be a water fairy or a garden fairy but she wasn’t. But when she appeared in front of the pedestal of tinkers, the symbol of a hammer glowed brightly, brighter than anyone has ever seen in the past. But Tinker Bell wasn’t happy in being a tinker fairy so she went about trying to be a fairy that she is not only to end up failing terribly. But it is when events that required her to use her tinkering gifts that she is able to prepare Pixie Hollow to bring about the coming of spring and summer is when she realized who she is. This is when Tinker Bell was finally happy about who she was created to be.
When you invite a preacher who is blessed with grandchildren, you are going to get Tinker Bell illustrations!
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians tells us that everyone is gifted with spiritual capacities. These gifts are not an innate human capacity simply waiting to be activated by a little individual effort. But rather, these are God-given gifts. No matter how spectacular one’s gift might be, we cannot take credit for them nor can we use them as rationale for a higher status in the church. Just like Tinker Bell and her friends, each person’s gift is from the Holy Spirit and is to be shared with others for the common good.
God’s Gifts
There were some people in the church in Corinth who had the gift of ecstatic speech or speaking in tongues. They were claiming that these abilities gave them more power and status in the community. Paul doesn’t discredit the authenticity of these spiritual experiences; rather, he responds about how disruptive they may be and that these are not the only important gifts.
These people with ecstatic speech thought that they were superheroes in the faith. Paul tells us that all Christians receive gifts, not just an elite few. The Christian life and Christian ministry are not just personal property of an exclusive class of spiritual superheroes. The fact is that all gifts are rooted in the same Spirit and serve a common purpose.
What gift do you have? From the gifts inventory that you took for today, what is your gift? Share in a popcorn fashion.
There’s a Chinese saying about liberal arts education, “You have 1000 knives but not one knife is sharp.” Sometimes we feel that “We are a jack of all trades but an expert of none.” In Christian ministry, we can identify with this. As pastors, we are expected to preach on Sunday morning and unplug the toilet on Sunday afternoon. We are to design and plan life-changing programs and afterward clean out the coffee pot. We are to visit the sick and attend Deacons meetings. Sometimes, we do feel that we have 1000 knives but not one is ever sharp enough to do anything special!
But according to Scripture, all of us receive gifts, not just an elite few. All of our gifts are given from the same Spirit intended to be publicly communicable, publicly shared, and publically enjoyed.
Did you know that after almost 40 years in full time ministry, I finally identified my spiritual gift just a few years ago. I felt like Tinker Bell finally realizing who I was created to be. I thought I was a good planner or a conference leader or a workshop leader or even an average preacher. I know that I am a good cleaner as I sweep the sidewalk in front of our church every Sunday morning. But the unique gift that I finally came to discover is seeing connections. It’s very simple. I can see how one thing is related to another. I can see relationships and things fitting together.
At our annual Youth Camp at Redwood Glen, 16 years ago I was invited to do what we call, “Closing” at the end of the day. Standing on the deck of Smith Dining Hall after a long day of many different kinds of activities, I am asked to share a word or a thought that would tie together everything that has happened. I share my one thought, give a little prayer and say, “good night” to the campers and counselors. Frankly and honestly, this is my gift. It’s nothing spectacular but it is the gift that I possess. And now that I know it after trying to be someone else like Tinker Bell did, I am very happy to finally know what God has gifted me with!
Church Today
When our kids were growing up in school in Pennsylvania, they would have these AP or advanced placement classes for “gifted” students. “Gifted” usually refers to an ability that lifts the individual above the rank and file, implying greater promise and potential for success in that area of study or expertise. There was a family that bragged that the parents were members of the Menses society and that their son was also admitted. Running counter to this cultural value, Paul is saying that everyone is gifted.
American Baptists based on our foundation of soul liberty and the priesthood of all believers knows that no one has the absolute answer to questions of life and faith. We need to include and welcome all persons into the life of the church in order for us to hear and learn from those who can teach us what we don’t know yet. In the early 1970s when American Baptists were predominantly comprised of Anglo or white Americans, the denomination created caucuses intentionally to put a “thorn on its side” so that voices and perspectives different from the dominant ones can be heard and valued and included. In addition to the Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native American caucuses, we now have the Haitians, the Portuguese, and just voted officially last year, a women’s caucus. Until we have women leaders serving on all levels of our denominational life, we have yet to value the gifts of women.
Today we have more groups becoming a part of American Baptist life. Over 60,000 of the 120,000 Burmese/Myanmar refugees and immigrants who have come from the Thai border are now identifying themselves as American Baptist. Just imagine how this new group of diverse ethnic groups from Myanmar is transforming who we are! They have God-given gifts that we welcome for the fostering of a common mission in Jesus Christ.
It’s amazing to see that the first-century church in Corinth is very similar to our 21st-century American Baptist churches. Worshipping together were Greeks and Jews, slaves and free people, men and women, rich and poor, united only by their shared confession of Jesus as Lord. We are called to do this too.
Jesus is Lord
Paul insists that the work of the Spirit cannot be disassociated from the person of Jesus Christ. Just as the Trinity reflects the diversity of three-person in one God, the work of the same Spirit in giving us gifts means that our different gifts are to proclaim that Jesus is Lord. The Spirit enables us to confess Jesus is Lord.
Paul tells us that no one filled with the Holy Spirit can say, “Jesus be cursed.” Those who truly are in the Spirit will speak and act in ways congruent with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Because Jesus alone is worthy of trust and obedience, no other political, cultural, or religious lords can be the focus of the Christian’s spiritual interest. All who can confess that Jesus is Lord share this indwelling of the Spirit.
Some denominational leader once time said, “Diversity is not a good identity for unity.” But according to Paul, our diversity is not an obstacle to unity when the same Spirit has gifted us and we confess that only Jesus is Lord. This means that everyone is welcome to the family as long as we proclaim Jesus is Lord. This means that every group has a place at the table as long as we proclaim Jesus is Lord. This means that no human fear or threat could prevent us from being respectful and appreciative of each other as long as we proclaim Jesus is Lord.
As ABC president, I am striving to connect and relate with all who are American Baptists across this denomination. I am using my gift. I have said that when I was elected last June, that I am president to not just some American Baptists but to all American Baptists. Therefore, even if I don’t agree with everything another American Baptist might believe, I am still that person’s serving president. The one and only affirmation that we have is to confess and proclaim that Jesus is Lord.
Light of Mine
In the ABC initiative Transformed by the Spirit, we are discovering that we are standing at the threshold of dramatic shift. Former answers to today’s questions are not satisfactory. Models of ministry that were effective in years past are no longer relevant or meaningful today. We say that technical solutions to adaptive problems don’t work anymore. For some, these changes are disconcerting. Some have conveyed to me that they are depressed to see that all that they have worked for in their careers are no longer valued and began asking the question about not having a legacy to leave behind. While I empathize with such thoughts, the more significant reality is the opportunity to stand at such a threshold to welcome the future. Instead of worrying about whatever legacy we may leave, let us embrace the privilege of seeing a new day dawning.
The emerging church and the church of tomorrow will require our gifts to remain faithful to the gospel. Some gifts may have been lying fallow that need a word of encouragement to come forward. In this emerging church time, some of our less noticeable gifts and skills could be given a chance to flower. Perhaps if you are a public school teacher and teaching in the Sunday school, you might consider singing in the choir. Or if you are a businessperson serving on the finance committee, you might consider going on a mission trip. In the future church, God is calling us to use our different gifts for the building up of the Body of Christ for the common good.
The more problematic question is who needs to be invited to step aside from a particular form of service, either because their gifts are not in that area or because someone else might grow in their own spiritual life if given that opportunity to serve?
The pastor or professional church leader also needs to be willing to relinquish some power, or the desire to be admired, or the need to be needed, in order to make room for others in the church to exercise their gifts. David Steele, a Presbyterian pastor and columnist wrote, “The key to ministry: knowing what not to do and not doing it.” As church leaders we can easily become burnout if we don’t relinquish some power. When we do everything for the church, we end up disempowering the people in the congregation in the exercise of their spiritual gifts, gifts allotted to them by the Spirit to be given back to God in service.
Know what not to do and then not doing it involve careful and prayerful discernment of one’s own strengths and weaknesses, followed by a willingness to let go of those roles or tasks that would be better done by other people whom the Spirit has chosen to bless with other gifts.
Like the story of Tinker Bell whom we grew up with in Peter Pan, we grow up singing the song, “This Little Light of Mine, I’m gonna let it shine.” Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:14-16).
The gift that the Spirit gave you is the same Spirit who gave me the gift of seeing connections. I am taking my little gift and I gonna let it shine in this world because the gift was not given to me to keep as a secret or to only enjoyed by me alone but to be shared publicly for the common good.
As our world becomes more fraught with rampart individualism evidence in the many personal electronic devices that we carry around everyday, let us confess Jesus is Lord for the common good in the world. As the church is challenged with individualism evidence in worship wars, cultural and ethnic differences, different theological viewpoints, and even political infighting, we must use our God-given gifts for the common good of peace and love in the world.
Let us pray.
God of infinite possibilities, bless each of us with the willingness to see and use our gifts for ministry to advance your Kingdom to come on earth as we know it is already in heaven. Show us how to value and welcome the variety of gifts that we have in order to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who are desperately seeking for good news to believe in. We pray that our light shines brightly as American Baptists so that the light of Christ would bring hope and peace until you return. Let us build up the Body of Christ by the sharing of our gifts. In Christ, we pray. Amen.