Worship - Sermons - 6/4/06

Gifted and Talented

I Corinthians 12:4-7

William F. Schnell

June 4, 2006

The title of our message for this morning should be familiar to high school students or their parents.  Most every high school has programs of study for its gifted and talented students.  International Baccalaureate tends to draw gifted and talented students, as do Advanced Placement courses that can qualify for college credit.  I was thinking of asking everyone here who is or was a gifted and talented student to raise their hands, but then I thought better of it, because most of us would have given the wrong answer.

Today we are going to learn from God’s Holy Word that God has created us all to be gifted and talented in our own manner.  We may not all be academically gifted and talented or, if we are, we may not be athletically gifted and talented, or artistically gifted and talented, or interpersonally gifted and talented.  Nobody is gifted and talented in all ways.  Nobody.  But everybody is gifted and talented in some ways.  Everybody.  Everybody has a unique constellation of gifts and talents that nobody else has in quite the same combination.

Some combinations of gifts and talents are quite interesting.  People tend to be either artistically inclined or technically inclined.  However some individuals are both artistically and technically inclined, which is good because certain professional pursuits require that constellation of gifts and talents—specifically architecture.  Carolyn Wong is studying architecture in college and Norm Perttula is an accomplished architect now retired.  Carolyn and Norm have demonstrated both of the artistic and technical competencies required of architects who must not only design an aesthetically pleasing structure but one that is safe and sound as well.

There are those who say that you cannot mix politics and religion.  I am proof positive that you can indeed mix the two.  I say that not only because I have degrees in both political science and religion, but also because of a recent accomplishment even I was unaware of until I recently received the following letter in the mail.  It is addressed to: “Rev. William Schnell, Mayor of Aurora.”  Happy days are here again!  Honestly, how hard could it be?

In our text for this morning Paul writes, There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men (Verses 4-6).  As an interesting aside, this is one of the few places in Scripture where the Trinity is implied (the word Trinity is not to be found anywhere in the Bible).  The text speaks of the same Spirit, the same Lord and the same God—in inverse order: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The important things to note in this text are that: 1) there are many and varied gifts, 2) they are all gifts from the creator and 3) they are given to all men and women—no exceptions.  Again, …the same God works all of them in all men--in all people.  Not only have we been created with these innate abilities, our creator God continues to work all of them in all people.  We are “works-in-progress.”  God wants to continually work with us to identify, develop and utilize our God-given gifts.  For what?

Paul continues, Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good (Verse 7).  Again, to each one—no exceptions—all spiritual gifts are given for the common good.  They are not given for strictly self-serving ends, and they are certainly not given so that we may harm God’s other children.  God has uniquely equipped each of us to serve the common good in our own particular fashion and as he gives us every opportunity.

The night before last I attended an awards ceremony where Don Arbuckle was recognized for how he chooses to use his God-given spiritual gifts and talents.  Now the Aurora Advocate, which usually sets the standard for journalistic excellence, inadvertently misspelled the name of his award.  They reported that Don was Rotary Club’s “Service About Self” award recipient.  It’s always about you Don.  All kidding aside, the award is not called “Service About Self” but “Service Above Self” and it is named after another church member, Don Koppes, who has now passed on to the larger life. Whether volunteering at The Church in Aurora, The Aurora Community Theater, The Volunteers of America, Habitat for Humanity or any number of other similarly worthy organizations, Don Arbuckle embodies “Service Above Self”—service for the common good.

Our text presents us with a couple of thought-provoking questions.  First of all, in what way has the Creator created each of us as gifted and talented creations?  What are your God-given gifts and talents?  It is an important question because its answer should inform what we were created to be and do.  Sometimes it is hard for young people to figure out what they are to do with their lives.  Should I be an astronaut or a rock star or something else?

When I was young I actually thought of being an astronaut.  My Dad said, “I don’t think so.  You’re not too good in math.”  I thought my Mother was going to kill him.  “Fred,” she said, “you are crushing his dreams.”  I actually felt a little sorry for Dad, because that is not what he was doing at all.  Dad always said, “I don’t care what you choose to do, but whatever it is, I want you to be the best at it that you can.”  My Dad never once pushed me to be this or that.  But he did know that my happiness and satisfaction in life would hinge upon being good at whatever it was I did.

Whether or not we are good at something depends upon whether or not we are built for it.  I was not built to be an astronaut.  Being prone to motion sickness, I would have thrown up on everyone and everything in the shuttle.  Why should I run twice as fast trying to keep up with someone else who is a natural?  Why not let somebody else run twice as fast to keep up with me?  The key is to find out what we are uniquely suited to be and do. 

If you are young and having some difficulty determining what that is, begin by asking your parents.  They have known you since you were tiny, and they have a pretty good idea about your gifts, talents and abilities.  Discover what those are because they are what you should develop.  They are what will make you a natural at something.  They are what will tell you what you should major in college and pursue in the real world.  There are lots of very important life decisions that will depend upon you knowing in what ways you are gifted and talented.

Our text presents us with a second thought-provoking question—this one for those who may have already discovered their gifts and talents and put them to use.  How have you put them to use and for what purpose?  Are you spending all your time and energy, and using all your gifts and talents, for your own self-centered purposes—to hoard away money for yourself or exalt yourself or indulge your worldly appetites?  That is not the reason God made you gifted and talented.  You will never find contentment living like that.  The more you have, the more you will want.  The more you want, by definition, the less satisfied you will be.

The secret for finding meaning and purpose in life is using our gifts and talents for the common good because that is why the Creator created us the way he did.  He created us with a purpose and we will be increasingly restless so long as we neglect that God-given purpose.  As St. Augustine put it in "Our souls are restless until they find their rest in thee.”  Otherwise, something essential will be missing in life and no amount of money, things, experiences or accomplishments will be able to satisfy our need for meaning and purpose.

Are you hungering for a sense of meaning in your life?  Are you thirsting for a sense of purpose?  In what ways are you using your God-given gifts and talents to serve the common good?   Maybe we ought to think about that when the church asks us to contribute toward the new roof being installed overhead for the common good.  Maybe we ought to think about that when Sunday turns into Monday and the working week that follows.  Maybe we ought to think about that the next time a volunteer opportunity comes along.

How has the Creator created us as gifted and talented creatures?  In what ways are we using our gifts and talents for the common good?  Two very deep and discerning questions to ponder as we publicly confirm our faith, as we venture forth from High School to the next chapter of our lives and as we examine ourselves, as we always should, in preparation for Holy Communion.