What’s Cooking?  Checking the Ingredients

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

January 25, 2004

 

CATCH-UP WITH SERIES

Last Sunday we began new series, following Lectionary’s Epistle readings from 1 Corinthians

            We read first part of 1 Corinthians 12

                        Apparently Corinthians were playing one-ups-man regarding spiritual gifts

                        Had developed an elitist attitude > each thought his gifts were more important

Paul made it very clear > all spiritual gifts needed to build a church

                        To get his point across > he listed the spiritual gifts by categories

                        This week we continue reading > and Paul likens Body of Christ to human body

But we’re using a different metaphor to tie this series together > the metaphor of an heirloom recipe

            We all have recipes that have been passed down through the generations

            Meats > vegetables > salads > desserts > the list is endless!

Last week “we baked a cake” with different categories of ingredients > like Paul lists spiritual gifts

THIS WEEK’S PLAN

This week today we’ll make Mother’s Roast Beef Hash

            When I was growing up this was supper every Monday night

            Because every Sunday we would have roast for dinner > always be some left over

            So Mother would cut up left over roast [about 2 cups]

Add about a cup of potatoes and ½ cup each of celery and onion

            It was yummy on those cold winter nights > even the aroma smelled delicious

Now we all know that before we make anything we have to check ingredients

Make certain we have every thing we need >

            Can you imagine Roast Beef Hash made with lamb instead of beef

                        And turnips instead of potatoes

And broccoli instead celery

                        And ketchup instead of roast gravy?

                        No “roast beef hash” made like that can be called “roast beef hash”

So to make Roast Beef Hash we need all the ingredients > and we need them in the right amount

If we only have three grains of salt and recipe calls for 1 teaspoon

            If we’re lacking even one ingredient > it simply will not taste right

            It will not taste like Roast Beef Hash

HOW CHURCH IS LIKE ROAST BEEF HASH

The Church is like roast beef hash > we may not want to admit it > but it is

And my Mother’s recipe for hash is like Paul’s recipe for a church

            Except > where Hash recipe calls for different amounts of each ingredient     

Paul’s “recipe” seems to call for “ingredients” in equal measure

So let’s look at his recipe for a church

            1 part Apostle >

                        apostles were those who informed the uninformed about Jesus

they did not have official religious education > they were not “seminary trained”

            1 part Prophet >

                        prophet is not seer > one who predicts what will happen in the future

                        prophet is one who speaks forth God’s word on a particular subject

                        an early-day “what-would-Jesus-have-me-do” kind of person >

            1 part Teacher

                        Teachers instruct their people about God

                        And the duties a person has in relation to God

            1 part Miracle Worker

                        what is translated “those who work miracles” is literally “those who work powerfully”

                        this is not someone who makes supernatural phenomena happen

                        like John’s report of Jesus’ turning water to wine at wedding in Cana

                        that kind of  miracle is a different word altogether

                        the kind of “miracle worker” Paul has in mind is one who has strength and ability

and uses that strength and ability to get things done in the church

            1 part Healer

                        “healers” are those who can remedy unhealthy situations

                        so a “healer” can cure people of illnesses

                        or “pour oil over troubled waters” as the saying goes

            1 part Helper

                        in biblical times these “helpers” were the deacons

                        those who felt called to give any kind of assistance to any person who needed it

            1 part Organizer

                        Peterson paraphrases this as ‘organizer’ > literally one who governs

                        We would call them ‘elders’

            Finally 1 part languages [literally]

                        This has come to mean ecstatic utterances > “speaking in tongues”

                        Being overcome, as it were, by the Holy Spirit

                        I’m not so certain this is what it means

                                    If you want to know why > ask me later > take too long now

Suffice it to say > more important to carry Good News about Jesus to people who

speak a different language than praying    in a different language

These are Paul’s ingredients for Church > But he is writing specifically to the Church in Corinth

What if he were writing to us?   What would his “recipe for Church” mean to St. Andrew’s?

            Specifically > how many of each “ingredient” would we need to make our Church a la Paul?

            At January Session meeting > Clerk Emerson reported 194 members on active list

            Since Paul lists 8 gifts in this chapter > and each gift carries equal weight

that means to be Paul’s kind of church we need 24 of each [maybe less > some inactive]

            24 people who can tell the unchurched people about Jesus

            24 people who will read the Bible and listen for God and tell it to rest of us

            24 folks who will to pass on teachings of the Bible

            24 people who can get things done

            24 who can make unhealthy situations healthy

            24 deacons

            24 elders

            and 24 who can speak a language other than English

In which category are you?

            Of the eight different spiritual gifts needed in the Church > which category is yours?

I know this is a lot > way too much to remember

So I’ll boil it down to three “i” words           

(usually “it’s all about me” > but this is “It’s all about i.” [lower case i, that is]

            Individual > this is not mush we’re making > or puree with everything the same

                        We each have gifts > each gift is essential

            Interdependent > it takes every one of us using the our particular spiritual gifts

            Important > This is the CHURCH we’re making > nothing could be more important

Interdependent individuals involved in incredibly important work > can’t get any better than that!