Epiphany 3 sermon

Here is the sermon from yesterday's service. Excuse the typos and enjoy!

Epiphany 3
January 24, 2010
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Filling in the gaps

In the name of Jesus, amen. Repeatedly in our life we are shown the truth that ugliness transforms into great beauty or that poverty reveals deep riches. There is a story about the ugly duckling growing into a beautiful swan and many people delight in O. Henry’s great story “The Gift of the Magi”. Now almost two weeks after the horrible Haiti earthquake, the beauty of God’s Church, the deep riches of God’s Church, are on full display as resources flow for the sake of those who are homeless, orphaned, and in dire need. There are gaps in the lives of Haitians, gaps that may not be easily bridged or filled.
The beauty of God’s church is on display in the words of our Epistle lesson. What we learn is that within God’s church, gaps exist. But those gaps are filled by God. And the gap that exists because of our sin is bridged by the cross.
Looking across the sanctuary I see lots of individuals. Scanning our membership list I see lots of individuals. I have come to learn individual stories, individual dramas and hopes and fears, and individual talents, gifts, and abilities. But looking across the sanctuary I also see one body- one body at prayer, one body giving attention to the Word of God, one body rejoicing in the salvation of Christ.
The human body consists of individual parts that form a whole- eyes, ears, hands, feet, elbows, noses. So it is with Christ. His body is the Church and within the church you find Jews and Greeks, slaves and free. People of countless languages, tribes, ethnicities all gather to hear the Word of God and confess Jesus Christ as Lord. There are people of diverse political and socioeconomic backgrounds. Within this particular congregation God’s beautiful diversity is on display. There is a variety of ages. There are those who are retired and those who are just beginning their working careers. And covering that variety is the unity found in the one Baptism, the one Lord, the one Spirit, and the one Body of Christ.
And according to the design and intent of God, all of us are critical parts of the body. But I find it hard to grasp how critical I really am, how vital or important I may be. What I do grasp is that I am not the best organizer, the best leader, the best writer or communicator. I’m quite ordinary and I know there are other people more talented and gifted than me. When we go through periods of self-reflection we may feel that everything can operate just fine without me and that the group, the family, the corporation, the Church, would not miss me.
But that ignores the value God has assigned to us. The foot and the ear cannot separate themselves from the body because they are not a hand or a mouth. Individual diversity blesses the body. Some parts of our body read lessons. Some parts of our body lead the group in song. Some parts of our body serve as ushers. Some parts of our body teach while some parts of our body learn.
As we learn the value God has assigned to us, we grow to value one another, to celebrate the opportunities God puts in front of us to put our value to use. Eyes and hands, elbows and feet need each other. Weaker parts are indispensable; less honorable parts have special honor; unpresentable parts have greater modesty. The body of Christ cares for herself. There is mutual caring that takes place as we place phone calls, address envelopes with sympathy cards, thank you cards, and thinking of you cards, as we ring the doorbell hoping to spend a few moments in conversation with a dear brother or sister in Christ.
According to God’s grace, we are the body of Christ. And look at how the body functions together- if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. In our prayers we acknowledge that some people are suffering emotionally and physically. As members of the body of Christ, we suffer together, we pray for their relief, we pray for their comfort. Where one is lacking, we fill in the gap. Husbands supply what their wives are missing. Wives are strong where husbands are weak. Older sisters teach their younger brothers. Older brothers pave the way for their siblings who follow after them.
We are united together as the Church, as the body of Christ. And we are united by Christ. Jesus stood before his neighbors in the hometown synagogue and told them what his ministry was going to be about- love, mercy, compassion. We are the poor, the captives, the blind, the oppressed.
Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection bestow new life and identity by grace through faith. Sin is the permanent gap between God and humanity. The cross bridges that chasm and reconciliation takes place. God has given His Word and His Sacraments to unite individuals into the communion of saints.
Throughout history, the Church has displayed great ugliness. Usually it is when individuals rise up and say that certain members of the body are no longer needed, are insufficient, or deficient. That ugliness is revealed as foolishness for in moments of great need or adversity the Church of God displays that it does not exist for its own sake, but for the sake of God. And God loves His creation. God puts His Church in position to help those in need. Individual members are brought together, hands are knit to wrists, knees are joined to shins, feet and ankles work together. And gaps are filled, help is rendered. So it is with those who are found in Christ. SDG