Sermon: “In The Waters”

Psalm 46
1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
5God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.
6The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8Come, behold the works of the LORD; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
10“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”
11The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Isaiah 43:1-7
43But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 4Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 6I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— 7everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
 

“In the Waters”
Rev. Julie Jensen
FPC Cartersville, GA
August 17. 2014
As a friend of mine used to say, “this week’s been so rough it should count as two.” She worked in the journalism field and this comment often surfaced after weeks where there were many major stories all unfolding all at once on multiple fronts. A local story might need extensive coverage while national news broke overnight, and then a major international incident would get folded into the mix. We have lost touch over the years but I often think of her in weeks like this week. There has been a lot of upheaval in our community, nation, and in the world. When we learn on the same day that people in Gaza are tweeting people in Ferguson, Missouri to offer advice on how to survive in riots, that less than three miles from where we are sitting a shooting rampage ended with a suicide and car crashing into a construction trailer, we might feel a little unsettled. The death of a celebrity that brings issues of mental health and depression front and center might make us feel all sorts of feelings. Added into the mix is all the other news we are exposed to and everything happening in our personal lives. Kids here are back in school, while college students made and are making their journeys back to dorm rooms and classrooms. I could go on and on – illnesses, divorces, job changes, financial stresses, care and concern for those we love, situations we cannot control – each of us deals with that every day.

It is in times like these that I come back to these two scriptures. Over and over again they show me the sovereignty of God, God’s grace and mercy, and remind me that I don’t have to fix it all, that I can’t fix it all. These seemed like words that we may need to hear today, and so I offer them to you.
We spent a good amount of time this summer focusing on the idea of being still. Ted preached a sermon series that led off with this reading. For me, being still is just one facet of this psalm that speaks to me. In 2001, Psalm 46 was the lectionary Psalm for the Sunday after the attack on the Twin Towers in New York. The first time I ventured alone to Manhattan to explore I felt a little lost. The City is bustling. It is crowded. It is tall. Yet, in the midst of what we may remember from movies, from photos we have seen of Tomes Square, there are pockets of quiet. There are neighborhoods. There are tree lined streets with trash cans at the curbs just like we put out the trash here. There are churches and schools and everyday life. I happened to wander into a church that day and saw the words of verses 5-7 of this Psalm on a banner: 5God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 6The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

We all need a place to find refuge. A place to turn down the din that constantly surrounds us. In conversation with colleagues this week we noted that it is hard to find a place to be quiet. You used to be able to sit in a waiting room surrounded by the sounds of a receptionist working and the Muzak in the background. Now folks are on their phones – despite what the signs say, and there are usually multiple TVS showing either commercials disguised as news touting the latest health advances, or a news program at a really loud volume. It’s no wonder my blood pressure goes up in the waiting room. Airports are just as bad. When I was traveling from Minneapolis to Philadelphia this summer to meet the mission trip team, there was some weather that caused enough upheaval in my travel schedule to make me cry. After learning that my luggage was on the standby flight that I wasn’t, being rebooked 3 times, and learning that there were no empty hotel rooms in the city (thanks to the All Star Baseball Game) I was at my wits end. I needed a quiet place to think and figure out what to do next. And there was none. Even the chapel had music playing and a couple had taken refuge in there to have a yelling match about who knows what – I didn’t stay to find out. And in the loudness of the day, all I could do was stop and say a prayer that something would get figured out. And it was. God showed up in ways I did not expect – a text from friends that they had a bed in their room given that they were staying an extra night. A text from the mission trip in the van saying I was in their prayers. I got on the tram and for the first time all day was able to be still and see God in the midst. God in the midst of the chaos, God in the midst of it all. Even here, where we talk about The City and the County, about going into Atlanta for a big event, or for work, we can resonate with these words too. They can be read as “God is in the midst of the places where we think we are safe or secure, places that we think cannot be moved or shaken. God is in the midst of wherever we are, and that cannot be changed.” When it feels as if the nations are in an uproar, or our plans are in an uproar, we remember that God is present.

I was asked this week what we should do about the violence against Christians in Iraq. My immediate response was to pray. God is in the midst of the city. God will help it when the morning dawns. When the rivers of life overwhelm us, as we hear in our reading from Isiah, when the waters rise, God promises to be with us. So I have to believe that for those who are in places where the physical or metaphorical waters are rising, that God is with them. God does not cause the violence, God does not cause the suffering and pain, God does not want that for us. We, as flawed people are the source, we has humans with free will are right in the middle of it. Yet God does not leave us. God does not leave those suffering. So we pray. We pray that we will remember that it is God who is sovereign. We find the silence and stop trying to “do”, to “fix”, or to “solve” and instead pray that God will reign over all.

That sovereignty part is the hinge upon which both of these texts hinge. Neither the prophet or Psalmist denies that the rivers will rise, or that the earth shall not shake or the waves come up from the sea. Neither offers promises of calm, of everything going right. But both affirm that God is the one who takes the lead in providing refuge, in calming the upheaval, and walking with us through the waters. The message of both of these texts is that we can’t do it on our own. We are called as followers of Christ to work for the Kingdom of God, to serve in ways that promote peace and justice, to love kindness and walk humbly with God. But nowhere does God say “you be in charge now and do it yourselves.” We believe that God’s got this, whatever “this” is, and we are called to discern how God calls us to be part of that work.

11 of us answered God’s call this summer to go be part of the work done in rebuilding place where these passages have scary significance. There are families in Point Pleasant, NJ who lost friends and loved ones when the Towers fell. The entire community was devastated when the waters rose. Point Pleasant is surrounded by water – the bay, river, and ocean. Most f the damage done by the superstorm – hurricane – was not from wind, but from rising waters on all sides. During our last night the worship team had a communion service on the beach. I would like to share the words I spoke to them with you:
Whether we realized it or not, the water has played a major role in our trip this week. Each time I stand in the ocean and feel the power of the waves, I feel the power of God. The pull of the tide, the crash of the waves. It makes me feel so small to stand by the edge of what feels infinite. Yet these waves also contain in them the promises of God to each of us – that when we pass through the waters, we are God’s. It is not up to us anymore, but it is up to God. These words can offer comfort to us as we think about the power of water on this part of the country. The damage here from Hurricane Sandy was not from wind, but from the rising water. The ocean and the bay met, the seas rose, and people’s lives were forever turned upside down overnight.

And yet, God is in the midst of this. God is in the midst of the power of the storm, and the power of those who have reached out to rebuild. When we baptize, we promise to love, nurture, care for, and support in the faith the children of God. Those promises were made at our baptisms for us, and we make them each time we sprinkle, dunk or pour and proclaim the work that God has done for each of us in our lives.

The command in the mist of chaos is this – be still. Remember that God is God and we are not God. We cannot control the universe, the world, or one another. We are not in charge – God is. In the stillness we recognize that reality. In the stillness we cry out to God from our hearts and ask that God will impart God’s stillness in us. When we eat the bread and drink the cup, we come to God confessing that there are times when we have tried to be God, or be like God. That there are times when we forget God’s promises to be with us, and God’s promises to not overwhelm us. And then we remember that God welcomes us anyway.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Mission Trip Meditation: Allen Weirick

This is the meditation Allen Weirick preached on Sunday, the 29th of July at First Pres. in Cartersville

We tend to think of nature as a wonderfully beautiful gift of God, and in it we see the glory of God’s creation or a place to commune with God. Many of our favorite hymns or choir anthems deal with one or more of these themes: For the Beauty of the Earth, The Heavens Are Telling the Glory of God, This is My Father’s World, and Morning Has Broken, to name just a few. God’s creation does indeed contain incredible beauty and scenes which foster grateful solitude and reflection. But what happens when nature seems to turn against us, as on that day in April last year when tornados ripped through the American south and mid-west with a destructive force that is beyond imagining? When I helped with tornado clean-up efforts here in Bartow County last year I was amazed at the destruction I saw, but as bad as it was it could not compare with the more wide-spread destruction that Tuscaloosa experienced. Having seen that in person, I cannot imagine what Joplin, Missouri experienced with its even larger and more powerful storm.

Numbers don’t give the whole picture, but they do give us an idea of how bad it was:
The guide on our tour of the tornado area told us that enough debris was collected to fill the University of Alabama football stadium – an immense structure that holds over 100,000 spectators – seven times. Over 1200 residential structures were destroyed and another 1600+ were severely damaged, as about 12% of the city of Tuscaloosa was destroyed. The human toll was huge, with 52 people killed by the storm and well over 1000 injured. Thousands of people were temporarily or permanently homeless, thousands of others became unemployed as their workplaces were destroyed, and pretty much everyone in the city was directly or indirectly affected by the storm.
So what happens to people’s faith when faced by such enormity? It is not surprising that some people lost their faith, and some gave up on their hometown, leaving, never to return. Others found strength in their faith and did not falter. By being there to help we were able to increase their hope and their confidence that things would work out for them. I am confident that our presence there and the work we did – along with that of the thousands of other volunteers, literally from around the country – provided part of the answers to many, many prayers by the people of Tuscaloosa.
The people who will be living in the houses we worked on are good examples. The man at the main site was handicapped, but he sat there in the immense heat to be connected with the effort emotionally. His faith was remarkable. I don’t remember his exact words, but he said something to the effect that he may be weak physically, but he was powerful in prayer, and we witnessed several examples of his powerful prayers.
The owner of the site where I spent most of my time was a disabled veteran of the first Gulf War, and his pelvis was crushed when his house collapsed on him and dragged him several yards. He clearly is not capable of putting in the sweat equity hours that Habitat for Humanity usually requires of people who get their houses, so we unfortunately did not get to meet him. Without Habitat for Humanity and the various groups of volunteers who rebuilt his house he would never have been able to rebuild on his own. His new house, which was on track to be turned over to him this past week, was built on the site of his old one, just better and much more secure. (All Habitat houses built in Tuscaloosa after the storm are built with a safe room in them.)

One of the women of our group spoke with a young man from the university who volunteered on his own at the build site, and he said he was the only one he knew of who was doing that, and added that he was disappointed that most local people seem to think only of themselves, and don’t care enough about others to help out. He didn’t see the big picture, though, and didn’t realize that many people were doing a lot – like the church where we stayed, which had made a mission – which they carried out very well, I might add – of providing space and support for groups to come to help out. They may not have been out on the sites helping to build, but they were making it possible for literally hundreds of outsiders to do more work than their own members ever could have. There are many other examples of churches, other organizations, and individuals who are helping in numerous ways with the rebuilding.

You know when you sign up for a mission trip that you are going to be surrounded by special people; they are pre-selected to include only people who care, because to put it bluntly: jerks don’t go on mission trips. You have people who volunteer to give up their time – in many cases, their valuable vacation time – to work hard to help people who are less fortunate than they are. Some I had known for years and have worked with on the Session like Nanette and Mary, or with other organizations, like Lori, whom I know more from her work with the Friends of the Cartersville Library. Some I barely knew, like the teenagers from our church, while others I met for the first time on the trip, like Xavier, a wonderful young man from Rockmart whom you should get to know if you haven’t already had the pleasure. It’s a whole lot easier to enjoy work when you are sharing it with likable people, and you want to make sure you do your part and don’t let the group down. I quickly learned that I am not capable of keeping up with Paul, whom I think of as the energizer rabbit because he just keeps on going and going, all the time with a great attitude and an ability to explain things and help out without ever talking down to us more-or-less beginners. Seeing these people in action is a very special feeling, and it makes me proud to have been a part of their team. I have always been impressed with the giving spirit of our church, and this mission experience has only strengthened that feeling. As others have said before, when you return from a mission trip, you are strengthened in faith, more connected with your church, and very tired, but it is a good tired, a very good tired.

Mission Trip Reflection: Denise Manning

Denise Manning is one of the church members who went to Tuscaloosa last weekend.  I asked the group to provide some reflections, and sent them some guiding questions for their writing.  Here are Denise’s thougths about our time of service.

Why did you go on this trip?-I was so moved by all the coverage on the television and the devastation.  I just wanted to do anything to help.

How was it different from what you expected?-I was surprised at the clean up that has taken place so far but at the same time surprised at how much is left to do.  I really did not have many expectations.  I think on these type trips you know you may be walking into any situation.

Where did you see God during our time away?-I saw God in so many places while we were there.  One example that I kept going back to was the sun peeking through the clouds each day. I noticed that a number of times while we were there.  This made me think that God is always there even in the bad times when we think we do not see him, he is like the sun peeking through the clouds to give us hope and remind us he is always with us.  I also saw God in the many individuals we met.  From the stories we heard about people helping people they have never met to the many volunteers we met along the way.  It is refreshing to see all the good that does happen in the world that mostly goes unnoticed. The news was filled with the devastation all over the world but not the wonderful things that are happening in Alabama today.

Share one story from someone you met.-The one story would like to share is of the individual who I assisted at the warehouse.  She was looking to replace some of her things.  I was assisting her in trying to find some clothing etc.  She would ask me, does this look good together, what do you think?  Here is a person who has lost everything but trying to make the most out of what she can and really looking to me for assistance.  In truth I had no idea what I was doing but felt I truly am helping this person.  It broke my heart when we could not find some of the items she needed and made me realize once again how lucky we are each day.  Here is she wanting ANYTHING, she did not care of it matched or was used she just needed some items.  Even something little such as socks that no one thinks about.  Just imagine the items they do not have?!  I was helping her load the items she had chosen in her car and I asked her, did you lose everything?  She responded, “yes I lost everything, my trailer is completely gone.”  We cannot imagine what that must feel like to lose ALL of your possessions and your home as well.  She was not bitter though just thankful for everything she was able to find in the warehouse.  It makes me think about how much more I can/should do to help people in need.  It does not take a lot of time just a willing heart. 

How did it feel to see the damage firsthand?  How did that compare with what you expected? For me it was surreal to see the damage firsthand.  Seeing things on the television of course hurts your heart but being there is so vastly different.  On the television you do not see the people helping each other.  You do not hear the stories of what they have lost and how they all pitched in to help each other.  Neighbors who had never met were helping each other.  I do not think there are words to describe how you feel when you are seeing all the damage.  There is just no rhyme or reason.  Five houses may have tremendous damage and then one house right next to them is standing tall with no damage whatsoever.  It just does not make sense.  I took a number of picture but found again when I was sharing them with others they cannot feel what I felt being there and seeing it in person. 

What was the best/worst part of the trip?-The best part of the trip to me was getting to know some people in the church a little better and hearing the stories that people had to tell about assisting each other.  The worst part of the trip  would be the heat. 

How are you different now than you were before?– I would like to think I am a little more understanding and sympathetic to what people may be going through.  It is hard though when you are away from it and get back to the day to day to keep those images fresh. 

What else needs to be done in the area?  How can our church(es) continue to support this community? EVERYTHING.  They need so much help.  I mean we worked for two days and there were a number of volunteers at just that location and we could see there was still so much to be done.  We can donate our time, send giftcards so they can give to people in need.  We can send donations of specific needs etc.

Mission Trip Pictures: Damage

These are some of the pictures I took in the Glendale Gardens Area of Tuscaloosa.  I’m having a hard time with uploading the photos to WordPress, so I will have to put the rest on Facebook.  If you click on the images below, you can make them larger.

Mission Trip, Day 2: Pictures

I ran out of words last night (Friday night) to use to describe what we have seen and done.  Instead I offer you a few pictures.  On the itinerary for today is driving around and looking more closely at the damage, and heading back to the Temporary Services Warehouse to continue sorting and organizing.  Then a trip to TCBY and we will be on the road home!

Cards from our first Mission Trip to Tuscaloosa, AL to help tornado victims

Mission Trip to Tuscaloosa, AL: Thursday

On April 27th, I had a meeting at church, and came home to watch a little TV and go to bed.  The weather was awful and so we hurried home.  All that was on TV was the news about the weather moving through our area – weather that had moved through Alabama earlier that day.  As I watched the weather people tag-team the storm progress, the sirens for the city sounded, and I herded the cats to our bathroom (and yes, it was herding and chasing cats — only took 4 tries to get them both in there).  Armed with my radio tuned to the local station and still watching the red and yellow and green move across the screen, I waited to see what would happen next.  I prayed, and the news announcers said “if you are in downtown, you are OK, the sirens are for….”  That was the news that I at least was safe.  It was an uneasy night to say the least.

In the months since, I have driven past areas that were damaged.  I have seen snapped trees from the roadside, the town of Ringgold as visible from the interstate just flattened.  In my head, I thought I knew what I was going to see when we came to Tuscaloosa today.  I was wrong.

We thought it was a big deal when our Hobby Lobby closed because the roof caved in after flooding rains.  We drove past one today (that I did not get a picture of) that was demolished.  The letters from the sign gone – rubble being the word to describe what we saw around us in the part of town we drove through.  But it is indiscriminate rubble.  Almost across the street was an upscale shopping center that looked like new – -untouched and undamaged.  War Zones look better than the little bit of what we saw today.  There are bilboards for attorneys who want to expedite tornado claims (ambulance chasers turned storm chasers?) and one billboard that simply said “God Bless Tuscaloosa” with the black and white checked ribbon on it.

Tonight we were welcomed warmly by the folks at University and we went to a local restaurant for dinner.  On the list of suggestions, the places that are still here are marked.  The others are either gone or closed.  It seems there is a strange balance of “normal” and “may never be normal again.”  Our dinner at a local college hangout juxtaposed with the shells of buildings we passed on our way into town will remain a strong memory for me.

As our team is here this weekend, we are going to be asking ourselves where we saw God each day in the midst of where we are.  Today I saw it when Suzanne, the woman who greeted us, said “thank you for coming to help us”, even as I was wondering if we will be able to make much of a dent in what we see.

The six of us on this trip will be blogging about it either while we are here, or when we get back, so you can see our experiences.  Please keep us, and this community in your prayers in the coming days.

Julie

More Tornado News

This is a copy of an e-mail I sent out earlier tonight to update folks on some of the needs and the church’s response.  Please feel free to pass the link along to those you think may be interested.  Thanks!

Dear Friends,

I know this is not even close to everyone who would like to see this e-mail, so please feel free to forward this along to members of our church family.

Volunteers are beginning to be needed to help with cleaning up following last week’s storms in Bartow County.  There is a large clean-up day scheduled for Saturday, May 7^th, beginning at 8:30 am.  Workers are to meet at Grace Baptist Church, 477 Old Cassville White Road, Cartersville, 30121. Wear long pants, work boots, or comfortable, closed toe shoes, work gloves, safety goggles, and bring any tools you think may be useful to clear large amounts of debris from property.  The major requirement is a heart that is willing to serve.   Directions from FPC can be found here:  http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=183+w.+main+street,+cartersville,+ga+30120&daddr=477+Old+Cassville+White+Road+Northwest,+Cartersville,+GA&hl=en&geocode=FdRNCQIdoQ_y-ilPsteKEU_1iDFXuowasHb7Yg%3BFU3kCgIdKMTx-ilBPm3oAFH1iDFd53V5CgdgbQ&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=28.611123,85.693359&ie=UTF8&z=12

Please call the hotline and let them know you are coming, so they can estimate the number of volunteers.  The hotline number is 770-382-6652.

As of this time, donations of supplies are not needed – the drop off point is overwhelmed and needs time to sort and distribute.  We will let you know when supplies will be accepted again.  We have places to send the supplies we currently have.

FPC is on the list for volunteers and work teams as they are needed.  If you would like to be contacted when we have more information, please call Angie in the church office and ask her to add you to the volunteer list.

The need will not be over this week, or this month.  As the saying goes, it is a marathon and not a sprint – our help will be needed for a long time to come.  Please continue to keep volunteers, victims, and workers in your prayers in the coming weeks and months.

Thank you for your outpouring of support and generosity.  It has truly been overwhelming.

In Christ,

Julie

Junk for Jesus and a Contest

The Parkers in Haiti have published another post about their ongoing adventures in rebuilding the hospital and guesthouse.  Read all about it on their blog. (link opens in a new window).

Suzi’s questions at the end to ask before anyone donates have really made me think, especially as I wonder what exactly they are going to do with 15,000 pairs of paper surgical scrub pants in various sizes.

Maybe it’s time for our first blog contest….

Post a comment here by Tuesday at Midnight EST with a creative use for 15,ooo pairs of paper surgical scrub pants, in various sizes – -that can be accomplished in Haiti.  I’ll pick the one that makes me laugh the most (or maybe I’ll put it to a vote at Staff Meeting on wednesday if things are slow) and the winner will get a prize yet to be determined in the Junk for Jesus category.

Hopital Ste. Croix Update

Here is an update from John and Suzi Parker – -they are blogging now, and you can follow along on their adventures.  Please continue to keep them in your prayers as you pray for Haiti.

If you look at the pictures on the top of their blog, look at the photo on the right — they are the couple in the left of that photo.  John is in the white t-shirt, Suzi in the blue scrub top.

On Saturday as I was driving back from Nashville, I was wondering how many of the hygiene kits we made at family night, about a month ago in response to the Haiti earthquake may be on their way to Chile now or in the near future…

The One Day Band

The This American Life Episode I reference is called “Classifieds.”

You can also hear the only recording of the One Day Band by clicking on the link.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.

4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

In 2002, the Producers of the radio program This American Life put together an entire episode of their show based solely on content derived from the classified ads that ran on one day in the Chicago area newspapers.  There was a story from the episode that immediately came to mind when I read the text for today – it was the story about the One Day Band.

The One Day Band was comprised solely of musicians who had advertised in the classified ads of the independent weekly paper looking for other people to play music with, or bands looking for musicians.  Their ads may have said “guitarist in need of band performing paying gigs” or “heavy metal band needs drummer who can stay in rhythm.”  The reporter found six musicians and one vocalist willing to come together for one day to record a song.  Here is who she found: First, an indi-rock drummer, followed by a smooth sultry soulful female vocalist looking for a jazz band, an acid-funk percussionist, an electric violinist working on a rock opera about a conspiracy theory, an experienced contemporary Christian musician and worship leader playing the guitar, another guitarist, and last, a man who plays an instrument called the Theremin – -the only instrument in the world you can play without touching.  I looked for some pictures of it, and it looks a little bit like either a wireless router, or some kind of TV antenna.  The player waves his or her hands above it and somehow that motion changes the electromagnetic energy and creates sounds like aliens and spaceships. Think about the 1950’s science fiction flying saucer sound effect to get an idea of the sound.  And, as the reporter asks, ““What song could unite an acid funk congo player, a soultry jazz player, 2 indie rockers, a Christian guitarist, an electric violinist, and an amazing therimin player?  What one composer could shoulder the burden?”  What song did they select for the only recording that will ever be made by the One Day Band?  Elton John’s Rocket Man, of course.

The band meets for the first time and makes friends.  They form some smaller groups based on common interests, and even figure out how to deal with the electric violinist who has anger management issues and has been known to smash an instrument or 2 in frustration and anger.  They jam together and find their way, and eventually rehearse the song for the first time.  It’s rough, but a good start.  As they learn about each other, as they accommodate for each other’s strengths and weaknesses, something happens – -“suddenly they are a band.”  The song falls together, and they are excited and energized.  These musicians had never met, never would have been friends, and yet they made music.  Each with a different part and different note and style came together to play music.  And it was pretty good.

Now, what does the One Day band have to do with the church in Corinth, with Paul, or with Spiritual Gifts?  The experiences of the One Day Band are a way to think about church and how we use the Spiritual gifts we are given by the Holy Spirit, and how we share them. Our text for today comes from Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth.  Given that Paul begins the conversation with the words, “now concerning Spiritual Gifts…” it can be inferred that they have asked for Paul’s opinion about them, and so he answers at length.  In fact, spiritual gifts are the most fully addressed topic in the letters to the Corinthian church than any other in New Testament writing.[1] The Corinthian Church, it seems was worried about the gifts they had been given by the Holy Spirit.  Perhaps they wondered if they were deficient – some people it seemed had different, or better gifts than others.  Some, were given the gift of wisdom, some the gift of knowledge, some were given the gift of healing, some had been given the gift of faith, some could speak in tongues, and some could interpret that speech.   For the church in Corinth, it may have seemed that some people got gifts that were of better use, or that served God in better ways than others, and they were wondering about that.

Paul answers their questions honestly – -yes there are varieties of gifts.  But the same Spirit.  And there are varieties of services, but the same Lord.  And there are varieties of activities, but the same God who activates all of them in everyone.  To each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good.  Each of us is a member of the whole Body of Christ – -the Body of Christ that through time and across the world is the Church.  And each member receives a unique gift. Because if we all received the same gift, what good would that be?  If the One Day Band were only jazz singers who sang alto, or only violinists, or only theremin players, there would be no depth, no richness or complexity to the music.  The range and scope would be limited.  If each of us had the same gifts – if we all were given the gift of teaching, but none of us were given the gift of organizing, we might be in trouble, and might not be very useful to the body of Christ as a whole.  If the Holy Spirit gave everyone the gift of knitting prayer shawls, but no one was given the gift of leading Bible study, we would be a very prayed for, very warm and extremely Biblically illiterate church.

This passage brings to mind another image – -ripples.  Can you picture ripples on a pond, or a ring of concentric circles?  Picture us in the middle — think about us as people using our spiritual gifts in the middle.  When we use them for the church here, that’s the first ripple – -we use our gifts for good beyond ourselves.  Together, we as a church are given a variety of gifts to serve the Lord, and how we use them then expands to the to the community and the area.  The motto, for lack of a better word, for our Presbytery, is “One church, 41 locations”.  Each congregation in our Presbytery has been given gifts that we use for the common good beyond ourselves.  Together, we are able to do work as the body of Christ that separately we could not.  Each church in Cartersville and Bartow County has been given gifts that we use to benefit the community as a whole.  We here have the gifts needed to feed people on Tuesday nights, and the Episcopal Church across the street has the gifts needed to run and sustain a food pantry.  The community needs both.  We as a church have the gifts to support a preschool and an afterschool program as part of our ministries to the community, while others have gifts that enable them to build houses.  The world needs both.  The next ripples are how our gifts support those in other parts of the country and then throughout the world.  Not only through mission work, though that is sometimes the easiest place to look for examples.  But also through prayer, and through simply being the part of the body of Christ we have been gifted to be. Paul affirms that diversity is not only a given, but is to be affirmed. “It is not an obstacle to be overcome, but a resource to be used.”[2] We are given a variety of gifts for the enrichment of the faith of not ourselves, but of others.  Not to make our own worlds better, but so we can improve the community in which we live, and use the various gifts we have been given for all of God’s people.

I have been thinking about that this week in 2 ways.  First, today marks the beginning of the week of Prayer for Christian Unity. One of the questions that comes up so often is “how are we as Presbyterians different from the…” Baptists… Catholics… Methodists…  Episcopalians…  We can often focus on how we are different from those we are not, and forget the words of Paul “There are varieties of gifts… but the same spirit.  There are varieties of services, but the same Lord.  There are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates them…” One God. One Lord. One Spirit. This is a time to shift our thoughts towards what unites us as Christians, rather than focus our attentions on what divides us.  Paul affirms the diversity of gifts.  For all the variety, there is a singular source –the same Holy Spirit.  Listen again to verse 11:  “All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.”

There are churches in other parts of the world, there are churches in other parts of town that we may walk into and not recognize what is happening.  The music is different.  The order of worship is strange.  The language is foreign.  The pastors in this other church don’t preach the way Ted and I do.  The theology is not what we claim as ours.  Yet, they, whoever “they” are in this church that is not where you sit now, profess that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior.  They are Christian.  We are all of the same Spirit, same Lord, and the same God. We are all the Body of Christ.  That is what this week is about – that we are to remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, to pray for Unity among the Body and what unites us, not what divides us.  If the Body of Christ were the One Day Band from the classifieds – -a band made up of churches that would never have had an opportunity to come together under any other circumstances, and did just this once, what might we have?  FPC Cartersville, well, maybe in the One Day Band we are the guitar player.  And the Orthodox church in Russia, that’s the singer.  And the Christian church in Vietnam is the theremin player.  The violinist is the church founded by missionaries in Ghana, and the drummer is from Equador.  Without any of them, we don’t really have a full band.  But together, once we agree on a song – how about “Jesus Loves Me?”– we can use the varieties of gifts given to us by the Spirit to proclaim that Jesus is Lord.  The body of Christ is fractured – -even our own denomination can feel that way sometimes.  May our prayers this week be that we recognize the various gifts the Spirit has given us and that we unite over them, rather than divide because of them.

This week the earth shook and the ground opened and the nation of Haiti will never be the same.  To try to describe the destruction in words is an impossible task.  Through the confusion and chaos, the grief and uncertainty, there has been the second way I have noticed the Body of Christ using the gifts of the Spirit for the common good.  In the midst of tragedy and grief, the Body of Christ responded.  Back in the fall, I spent a morning at a Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Workshop to learn a little bit about the response to the flooding in GA.  What I heard was something that gave me pause for thought.  As we listened to a description of the response to the disaster, the description of a response time line of sorts was given, “well, the Baptists, they usually come in with their chainsaws and just start clearing the way.  They’ll clear debris and clear out streets so that police and firefighters and others can get in.  Then the Salvation Army can come in and set up their mobile kitchens and feed volunteers and the hungry.  Then the Methodists and Episcopalians help with immediate needs… And then when they have gone home PDA stays for the long term recovery.  None of that would be possible without the work of the other.  Not that we don’t send in funds and relief supplies, but our job can’t be done until the other work has happened.  We can’t figure out where to build a work camp until the people who use the chainsaws come and clear the way for us.  That’s not where our skills are.  And they don’t have the denominational structure to sustain the kind of work that we do.  We need each other for a full recovery.”  “Now there are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities but it is the same God who activates them in everyone.  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”  In the past few days the responses from the faith community to the Haiti earthquake around the world has been strong – not only financially but also spiritually.  Not only have we reached into our pockets, but we have bowed our heads and folded our hands and offered our prayers.  The times when we were not sure what, if anything we could do, we knew we could do that.  We knew that we had been given the gifts of our hearts and minds and voices, and so we turned them to God. We are called to pray for our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ – -for those who mourn, for those who serve.  For those trying to reunite with family and friends, and for those trying simply to survive this day and the next.  We give thanks that the Spirit has given some the gifts of fundraising and some the gifts of logistics.  Some have the gifts of cooking and some have the gifts of healing.  Some have been given the gifts of telling the story while others have the gifts of clearing roads.  We know that the Body is responding  -that the Gifts of the spirit are at work and that the body is at work together.  We are all using these gifts in the midst of disaster for the common good – for the body of Christ.

Each of us has been given a unique gift to be used in concert with everyone else’s gift for the glory of God for the body of Christ.  Are you the producer who organizes the One Day Band? Are you the singer or drummer or guitar player?  Each and every one of you has a gift that is yours and yours alone.  Without it the Church, the Body of Christ is not complete.  How different does the song sound without the singer?  How different is the music of the Choir without the organ or the Upper Room band without the Drums.  You can tell something is missing, it is incomplete. “Now there are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit; and the same Lord; and the same God.”  May we, the Body, seek to use our varied gifts to serve the Body of Christ.  In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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[1] Craddock, Hayes, Holladay, Tucker, eds: Preaching the Common Lectionary, Year C: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany.   Abingdon Press.  126.

[2] ibid.  128.