What Are You Doing?

            The conversation went something like this:

“Myrtle, it’s Beula.  It’s that time again.  We’re getting together at the church with the children to decorate the Easter baskets and dye the Easter eggs.”

“O, Beula, I am not good at decorating Easter baskets.  It’s not really something I enjoy doing and my arthritis hurts my fingers so much that they ache for days afterward.”

“Myrtle, you say that every year and yet, every year you end up helping out anyway.  Take some extra pain medicine that day.  I really need you.  I can’t do it all by myself.”

“But, Beula, I’m not really good with children.”

“That’s OK. The kids won’t notice.  They’ll be too busy decorating the eggs.”

 “But, Beula, I’ve done this every year for the past fifteen years.  Isn’t there anyone else that can do it?  Couldn’t one of the parents help?”

“Myrtle, you know there isn’t anyone else.  Remember that year that I called ten different people looking for a volunteer and no one volunteered.  And the parents are just glad for the time away from their kids.  They really need a break.”

“Beula, did you call that new couple that just joined the church last month?  They have children that will be a part of this activity and I know she really enjoys doing crafts.”

“Myrtle, you know we have to give the new members time to get to know us and feel comfortable around us before we start asking them to do things.  You know, you just need to stop trying to find excuses and do your Christian duty.  I’ll pick you up at eight o’clock on Saturday as usual.  And try not to be late… we have a lot to do at the church before the kids get there.  See you then.” 

            I know that you have never been on the receiving end of a telephone call like that.    I know that this doesn’t happen in this congregation.  I mean, when the time comes to deliver  Thanksgiving or Christmas food boxes to struggling families here in Stephenville… or find people to be lectors on Sunday morning… or recruit Sunday School teachers for the coming year… or find people to work with our youth… or identify elders for the coming term …or find volunteers to work at HOPE… or people for whatever projects, committees, or events we have listed on our church calendar, I know that no one in this congregation has ever had his or her arm twisted like Myrtle.    Still, it does happen in some churches… and it is a recipe for burnout among our faithful church members… so, I want to take some time to look at church members and their gifts. You see, I firmly believe that if we are to keep people involved in the church and excited about their faith, we need to understand the gifts that God has given to us… and the appropriate use of those gifts in the church. 

            Point number one:  Everyone has a gift.    Every child of God was created with gifts to be used for the building of God’s kingdom here on earth.  Sometimes, those gifts are obvious.  There are those who demonstrate a love of music or mathematics early in life and that talent follows them throughout their lives.  Some love to teach… and have a real gift for breaking down complex topics into little bite-sized chunks that we can easily digest.  Some have a gift for art… or crafts… or carpentry… or cooking… or electrical work… or cleaning.    Yes, I said cleaning.  Did you know that cleaning was a gift?   Oh, yes.  It is a gift.  Unfortunately, it is a gift that is often over utilized…which brings me to my second point.

            Everyone has more than one gift.    You’ve all heard the saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”  Well, I am here to tell you that “All cleaning and nothing else can make Myrtle or Beula pretty crabby women!”    Sometimes, people work at an occupation all week long and, when they are not at work, they would love to do something totally different.  I know a foundation executive, for example, who does wonderful needlework … a lawyer who loves to work in the garden... a chaplain who loves auto mechanics… a computer networking whiz who loves to compose music… an investment broker who loves to sing… and a pastor who loves to remodel houses.    They would all love to use those gifts more often… to have some balance in their lives.  Ah, but to learn these facts about these people takes getting to know them beyond the one hour in church on Sunday morning.    How well do you know the person sitting next to you in your pew?  Does he or she have a hidden talent… a different gift?    And that brings me to my third point.

            Some gifts are viewed by the world as “significant,” while others are viewed by the world as “marginal.”    Let’s take my lawyer friend as an example.  Being a lawyer is “significant.”  Being a gardener, on the other hand, is “marginal.”  Being an investment broker is “important.”  Being a singer is “marginal.”    And some positions in our churches are that way, too.  Being an elder, for example, is viewed as “significant.”  Being a janitor or someone who just mows the grass is “marginal.”  Being a preacher is “significant.”  Being a greeter is “marginal.”    Or is it? 

Sometimes, I think we have our priorities all mixed up.  When the service is over today, many of you will thank me for the message I brought.  But how many of you will thank the person who greeted you at the door today?  How many of you will thank him or her for doing that job… especially if you don’t know them?  And yet, most visitors will tell you that, without a greeter to welcome them and make them feel comfortable when they walk in, there would be no visitors who would stay long enough to hear the preaching… no matter how good it was.  So, I think we need to thank the greeters, not the preacher.    We need to turn that paradigm on its end. We need to recognize and elevate those who do the so-called “marginal” tasks in the church… for it is doing those “marginal” tasks that keeps the church going from day to day.    So, I am going to challenge you this week to find someone who does one of those “marginal” tasks and thank them for doing it…which brings me to my next point.

Everyone’s gifts are different.  You’ve heard the old adage:  “Don’t put a square peg in a round hole.”    Well, we shouldn’t do that with our volunteers either.  God gives us clues to look for when we recruit volunteers.  The first clue that God gives to us is talent.  There are people who can sing and there are people who can’t carry a tune.  There are people who can decorate Easter baskets and there are people who can’t.  There are people who can teach Sunday School and there are some people who can’t.  It is important to look for those who have a talent for the task… but that is not the only thing to look for. 

You see, the second clue that God gives to us is passion.    I can cook.  I have somehow managed to keep myself alive and fairly healthy for more than fifty years… but my sister, on the other hand, has a passion for cooking.  She loves to cook.  She would give up watching a movie to cook.  I wouldn’t.    How can we learn to use… not the things that people can do… but the things that they are passionate about… for the glory of God?  Obviously, Myrtle can do Easter baskets and eggs, but she is clearly not passionate about it.  I don’t think we need “Time and Talent” surveys.  We need “Passion” surveys! 

In 2 Corinthians, there is a verse we often use when we collect the offering.  It reads, “Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”  The same is true about using our gifts.  The Lord loves people who shares their passions… and who share their gifts passionately.    What if that passion does not fit the traditional picture of what we “should” be doing?  Can we begin to think creatively about ways to use that passion to glorify God?    Let me give you an example.  Suppose we need a youth group leader and what find that we have is someone who is passionate about model railroads?    I would rather see that volunteer work with the youth to build a model railway in some corner of the church that year.  Because, you see, I know that, in building that model railway, many of the topics to be covered in a youth discussion can be dealt with using that construction project as a conversation starter.  Topics like how to resolve differences in a Christian way… or what businesses should or should not be included in the model town and why… or whether the model town should have poor people in it… or a jail… or a soup kitchen…or public housing… or a homeless shelter.  Topics like how we will decide who gets to run the train… which switches to throw, and so on. Topics like whether there should be more than one church in the model town… or a synagogue… or a mosque.  I don’t even know if it is possible to buy an HO-sized mosque.    Do you see what I mean?    Can we use people’s passions instead of forcing people to fit into a mold we create for them?  Can we uncover passions we never knew existed… which brings me to my next point.   

Some gifts are natural… or are naturally developed by events in peoples’ lives or by opportunities that they have.  I have always loved to sing and have always had opportunities to do so.  So, I have shared that gift all my life.  Some people’s gifts, on the other hand, have never been tapped.  Sometimes, they don’t even know that they have a gift, for they have never been given the opportunity to try it… to practice it… to be in a supportive environment where taking risks is welcomed… and where failure is viewed as a learning experience.  Because they have been criticized or belittled for their efforts all their lives, these people are afraid to try anything new.    Is church a place where people only do what they are good at doing… what they are passionate about doing… or is it also a place where people can try things they have never done before?    Do we give people an opportunity to test their wings?  Can we offer them opportunities that they… and, to be honest, we… have never considered before?    Do we suggest that children read scripture in public… or that shy adults work with us as ushers or greeters?  Can we offer people we have never considered before the chance to learn something totally new… or do we only want the “tried and true”?    And do we “give up” after only asking them once? 

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.”  That quote is stuck on the door of my refrigerator.  I see it several times a day and, while I may not do one thing every day that scares me, I do make an effort to seek out opportunities to stretch my wings.  Just this weekend, I laid ceramic tile for the first time in my life.    Do we give the members of our church the opportunity to stretch their wings?  So we allow people to test their gifts… to discover their gifts… to develop their gifts… and also to determine which gifts are not theirs… all in an environment that lifts people up… surrounds them with love… and gives them the freedom to explore all that God has provided? 

            God intended for us to use our gifts and to share them with others… as our text says, “for the common good.”  They were not meant to be used only to provide an income for our family… or only for our own personal pleasure.  The Gospel of Matthew tells us, "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.”    God has given you gifts and talents to share with others.  God has given you a passion for some things. Find your gifts… use your passion… for the glory of God and for the common good.   Do you remember that children’s song, “This Little Light of Mine?”   “This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.  This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”  (Hide it under a bushel, NO! I'm gonna let it shine...  Won't let Satan blow it out…. Let it shine til Jesus comes, I’m going to let it shine...).

So, let me speak to the “Myrtles” who have had their arms twisted by the “Beulas” in this church.  Myrtle, the next time that Beula calls, tell her that you won’t be there to decorate Easter baskets or Easter eggs this year.  Then, tell her what gifts you do have a passion for and are willing to share with others.  And Beula, figure out how to use that passion in this church.  Myrtle and Beula, share your gifts.  Let your light shine so that others can see it and give glory to our Father in heaven from whom all good gifts flow.  That is what God calls us to do.  Amen.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11