Imagine that it’s a week from today, and we’re in the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The place is packed with fans from both the San Francisco ‘49ers and the Baltimore Ravens, all breathlessly waiting for this historic matchup. We’ve just finished singing the “Star Spangled Banner.” Everyone is ready for the opening kickoff. It’s 6:29! Here we go! And it’s wonderful.1 As his eyes watch the ball, the kicker’s brain registers its speed, and then tells his arms and hands how to catch it. His ears pick up his teammates’ shout as to where to send the return kick. His brain tells his legs to move, and they do, both in the same direction! And all the while his heart and lungs are pounding away. Whew! Thank heavens! If any of the parts of the kicker’s body decided to call it quits, his team would be done for.
If Paul were writing today to those pesky Christians in Corinth, he could have used that image of the Super Bowl opening kick. So what was the problem in Corinth, and why was Paul so exercised in the part of his letter to them that we just heard? Paul had been one of the founders of that community, and he knew how diverse it was. Some of its members were wealthy, among the elite of this new Roman city, while others were merchants or artisans, and some were even slaves. There were Gentiles and Jews, and, of course, both women and men. They had different ideas about eating meat sacrificed in the temples, about whether they should marry or not, and how they would eat their holy meal together. They also seemed to have been given different gifts by the Holy Spirit. In particular, some people seemed to have the gift of ecstatic speech in an unknown language, “speaking in tongues.” Those who had this gift also seemed to think they were superior to those who didn’t have this gift.
Certainly Paul understood – and acknowledged – the differences among the members of this community. Even so, Paul looked at the human body, with its 206 bones, 639 muscles, and 6 pounds of skin, together with its ligaments, cartilage, veins, arteries, blood, fat, and more. And he used the image of the body – actually a common image for society in Paul’s day – to remind the Corinthians that, despite their differences, they were now part of a single organism. To be sure, they had been gifted by the Holy Spirit in their baptisms with different gifts, but, what is more important, they were now part of a single community that must work together as harmoniously as the myriad parts of the human body at its best. Just as the eye and mouth are as necessary to the body as the ear and nose, so no part of the community is more needed than any other part. Just as the stomach, intestines, and genitals are as necessary to the body as the brain, so no one in the Corinthian community, whether they can speak in tongues or not, is superior to any other member.
Yet Paul also understood well that, like the parts of the body, the members of a Christian community do not all have the same role in the community. They all work for the same purpose to build up of the community, but the Spirit has given them different gifts to help the community grow. To press home his point, Paul gives a few examples of the roles members of the community may play: apostles to proclaim the good news, prophets to pronounce God’s judgment and consolation, teachers to help Christians grow in their faith, healthcare workers to heal, servers and leaders, and speakers in tongues. No one can play all roles – not even Jesus did everything during his earthly ministry – nor should anyone envy those with different roles from their own.
Of course, we understand that players have different roles when we watch two football teams face off against each other. The quarterbacks specialize in passing, while the receivers are especially good at receiving. The player making the opening kick, and all the kickers, are excellent at kicking, while the linemen are the best blockers. What’s more important, each member of the team depends on the others to play their role as perfectly as possible. Each has specialized in the skills needed for their particular role, and each is necessary for successful play.
And are we here at St. Peter’s any different from those Christians in Corinth, or from the ‘49ers and Ravens? We too are part of a living organism. To be sure, we have our differences: in ethnicity, gender, age, occupation, history in the parish, and other aspects of our lives. But like the Corinthians, we too were all baptized into Christ, all of us received gifts from the Holy Spirit, and all of us are now part of Christ’s team. And here’s the important part: all of us have work to do so that this community may flourish. If you are sitting up and breathing, you have a role to play! None of us can do everything – even the priest – and no role is superior to any other. Yet all of us were gifted by the Holy Spirit to play the role for which God chose us.
What are some of those roles we are called to play? All of us are called to be generous with our resources – that goes without saying. Some of us were called to lead worship. Only the priest can read the Gospel, preside at the Eucharist, give absolution, and pronounce blessing. But others are needed to read the lessons, serve the chalice, and, when trained, to preach. Some are called to lead the parish in education, both of children and adults, and some are called to help form others in Christ, through sharing in smaller group settings. Equally important are those who are called to promote fellowship, through organizing potlucks, picnics, youth outings, and other social gatherings. Some are called to proclaim the good news and invite their friends, neighbors, or relatives into the fellowship of Christ’s body. Some are called to offer pastoral care to others: providing meals when needed, visiting the sick and the shut-ins, remembering those in prison, or sending out birthday cards.
Some of called to service within the parish: there would be no Eucharist without the Altar Guild, the building would fall apart without a junior warden, and our accounts – and our standing within the diocese – would be in chaos without a treasurer. Some are called to spur us to mission, to organize and work in activities such as the diaper ministry and Loaves and Fishes, to collect and deliver food to the Outreach Center, to support the Snack Pack program. Some are called to draw our attention to wider issues: to encourage us to ask why people are hungry, why people can’t afford diapers on their own, or how we can be better stewards of the earth. Some are called to remind us of the ties we have to other Christian bodies and to draw us into greater cooperation with other faith communities. Some are called to pray for others, both those needing prayer within the parish and those who are farther off. And some are called to what I call a ministry of witness, to work for the kingdom simply by sitting – in the pew week after week. They cheer up the priest and they encourage others who see their loyalty to God. David Leininger tells the story of a man who came to worship week after week without fail, even though he was profoundly deaf and could not hear what was happening. Finally, the pastor asked him why he came, when surely he wasn’t getting much out of the service. The man replied, “I just want to show the world whose side I’m on.”2 That is as important a role as any other!
My friends, you are all part of the body, you are all on the team, and you have all been called to this place by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit needs every one of you to carry out God’s plan in this place. Do you think the body doesn’t need you? Everyone matters in this place: babies, children, parents, those actively employed, those who are retired, and even those who are disabled. Don’t amputate the body. Don’t desert the team. Don’t sit back and let others play their roles without you. Don’t envy the gifts of others and wish you had their role. The Holy Spirit has called you and endowed you with a unique set of gifts and talents.
Teach us your ways, Lord,
that we may accept our own talents openly,
nurture them hopefully,
develop them faithfully,
And give them freely.3
1. I’m grateful to David E. Leininger, Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit, Series VI, Cycle C (Lima: OH, CSS, 2009), 52ff. for this analogy.
2. Leininger, 56.
3. Adapted from Ted Loder, “Teach Me Your Ways,” Guerillas of Grace (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 2005), 109
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