Bethesda Presbyterian Church Sermon: November 27, 2011

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Katrina Flynn
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1 Bethesda Presbyterian Church Sermon: November 27, 2011 "I Always Thank My God For You" (I Corinthians 1:3-9; Isaiah 64:1-9) Guest Preacher: The Rev. Richard Houghton Peter Drucker, perhaps the best-known management thinker of the century, has said, "Where there are people, there will be trouble." Unfortunately, that often seems so true. We get ourselves into trouble so easily economically, politically, theologically, morally -- you name it. There are the Bernie Madoffs, the Euro entanglements, the Middle East turmoil, fears of all sorts, arguments about human rights, gay marriage, capital punishment, and so on and on, and on. On the one hand, there is the "might makes right" - "eye for an eye" - "get even" group. Those people feel that when one is slighted or damaged in some way, one goes on the attack and achieves equilibrium by meting out equal or greater damage to the real or imagined offender. But by responding in this way, don't you imitate or become like your enemy, thus creating two, not just one problem. Some argue that this arrangement is like trying to make peace by making war. But, fortunately, there is another side to the human condition, too. I'm thinking of Mother Theresa, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Francis of Assisi, the great philanthropists, teachers, firefighters, doctors without borders, the washer woman who saved all her money to give a scholarship fund to a college so poor children could receive an education, and many others who weigh in with compassionate to balance the deficiencies in the human condition. What would we do without them?

2 - 2 These people accept personal deprivation, danger, and hardship for themselves, so they can give their treasure, time and talents to benefit those in need. In today's Bible text from I Corinthians, Paul speaks to the practice of love and compassion -- of giving of oneself. Paul's words were written a long time ago. It was the year 55 AD. But what he said then is as true today just as it was in Corinth over nineteen hundred years ago. Let us examine why this is so. Corinth was much like us today here in the United States. We are a nation dealing with international commerce, immigration, political upheavals here and abroad, a fragile economy, and an unfortunate number of people who focus on their own self-interest, often at great expense to others. Corinth was a major city on the trade route from China and India all the way to the Western Mediterranean -- it was a channel for trade across most of the known world at the time. Foreigners came and went in great numbers across the city. There was rampant immorality, misuse of spiritual gifts, jealousy, envy, and abuse of neighbors. So Paul was dealing with human conditions much like those we deal with in the twenty-first century. Paul addressed a small group of Corinthians. These people faithfully used their abilities to further the work of the church. Later in his letter (chapter 12), Paul describes how important it is for Christians to join our talents to do the church's work. Listen to what he says: " 12 Christ (and by association, Christ's church) is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts. 13 In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink.

3 For the body itself is not made up of only one part, but of many parts. 15 If the foot were to say, Because I am not a hand, I don't belong to the body, that would not keep it from being a part of the body. 16 And if the ear were to say, Because I am not an eye, I don't belong to the body, that would not keep it from being a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were just an eye, how could it hear? And if it were only an ear, how could it smell? 18 As it is, however, God put every different part in the body just as he wanted it to be. 19 There would not be a body if it were all only one part! 20 As it is, there are many parts but one body." That, to me, is a true picture of how an effective church is constructed and operates. You see, one person may not have the same gifts as someone else, but every person does have very valuable gifts to offer. For example, your gifts may be just the gifts that are needed in the work of the church. You may have a winning personality or an ability to remember names, or to sing or dance, or a passion for helping those in need. Someone else might have wisdom, or knowledge. Another might have a large house in which to gather members for Bible study. Others might be able to offer transportation or visit shutins or people in the hospital. There are countless needed gifts to be shared. All are important and valuable. But they are not gifts at all if they are not first given, and then received. The giving is what is important. And compassionate giving is the key to the whole thing. Let me give an example. Some years ago I was serving as a chaplain in a hospital. It was during the early stages of the AIDS epidemic. Little was known about the disease. People were frightened to even get near a person with AIDS. If they did, they thought they would surely die. One day as I was making rounds, I came to a room where a young man was in isolation. When someone is in isolation, you often don't know if it is their disease which is contagious -- or whether it is you

4 - 4 - who might compromise the patient's immune system. However, before entering the room, I washed my hands thoroughly, but did not put on the latex gloves which are often used to insulate one from harmful contact with patients. I did not use the gloves because I wanted to touch the patient's hand and make personal contact. You see, being in isolation, and having people come into your room wearing a mask and hidden in strange and off-putting impersonal clinical garb can make one feel repugnant and very much alone. I couldn't heal the man, but I could go into his room to be with him. So I entered the room, walked over to his bed, and sat down. I did my best to smile with my eyes, because my mouth was covered by my mask. We began to talk. For a while, he made superficial conversation, but when I touched his hand, tears came to his eyes. I said, "You seem upset." He nodded and began to sob. I asked him what was bothering him, and after a struggle to tell me, he said, "I am so ashamed." I asked him why, and he said, "I have AIDS, but that is not why I am ashamed." I said, "What is it?" He said, you came into the room and touched my hand. But when one of my friends had AIDS, I wouldn't even go to see him. Now it's too late. He died and I never went to see him. We continued to talk, and, as I left, he said, "Thank you for coming. I feel so much better after having talked with you." That was a powerful experience for me. It was a hard lesson in how valuable and necessary it is to serve others, in Christ's name, at every opportunity.

5 - 5 - The Dali Lama has captured the importance of love and compassion in our world when he said, "Love and compassion are not luxuries. They are necessities. Without them, humanity cannot survive." So how can you and I prepare ourselves to be more loving and compassionate? First we need to eagerly and intentionally look for guidance revealed to us through prayer, scripture, reason, and faith. We can also embrace the Holy Spirit which surrounds us and keeps us strong and secure in our ministry of Christian love and compassion. That is what Paul's small group of Christians did in Corinth. They were like leaven in bread. Their influence spread the love and compassion of Christ throughout the city and down through the ages. Paul knew how valuable those people were and that is why he began his letter saying, "I give thanks to my God always for you!" So let us pray that we, too, might be faithful in love and compassion, and community just as those early Christians were, and as our Lord is always present, faithful, loving and compassionate in community with us today. You see, peace in our world depends on it. Amen.

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