17 Jan - Sharing Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11

In the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul offers a teaching about the Holy Spirit. He writes, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.” Whatever our individual gifts are, they all come from God. God activates them in us. Our words and our actions are the Holy Spirit manifest, made visible in us.

Paul also states, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Our basic orientation in life is toward the common good. What we say, what we do affects the other members of that family. As people of the Spirit, the intention of our words and our actions is basically good. Our desire is to have a positive impact on others, so that our common life may flourish.

We live in relationship to one another. What we do matters. When something happens to our sisters and brothers, wherever they are, it matters. It affects us. We have become painfully aware of that reality with the earthquake in Haiti. Our response? Our orientation to the common good, our deeply rooted gift of compassion takes hold. We ask: What can we do? We want to help, but how?

First, we can pray. We can pray collectively as a faith community and as individuals. Pray for the people of Haiti: for the dead, for the injured, for those who have lost loved ones, homes, possessions, and hope. Pray also for those who are actively working to help Haiti recover and rebuild.

Second, we can support the relief efforts for Haiti. What is needed most right now is money. Episcopal Relief and Development is an agency that is already at work in Haiti. You can make a contribution to ERD on-line, or St. Simon’s will help you make a contribution. On Sunday, January 24th, the free plate offering will be designated to ERD. You can write a check to St. Simon’s and note Haitian relief on the memo line. We will gather those checks and the cash and send a check to ERD. Or, you can choose another relief organization that is working in Haiti and support their efforts with your contributions. As time goes on, I am sure there will be other opportunities for us to support the relief and rebuilding efforts in Haiti.

Peace,

Deacon Sue

10 January - The Holy Spirit In The World

Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Our denomination doesn’t celebrate Epiphany the way we celebrate Christmas and Easter. But it’s just as important because it is when Jesus’ divine being was made manifest to the gentiles and this happened through the Magi; foreigners coming and seeing Jesus and knowing that Jesus was both human and divine.

Then we come to the baptism of Jesus and in the baptism it says that, after he was baptized with everyone else and was in prayer, the heavens opened and the Spirit descended like a dove and God said “I am well pleased.” This is the moment that Jesus was fully empowered for his ministry. Now, Luke writes a lot about the Holy Spirit. Before we even get to this chapter, he’s talked about Jesus being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. John and Elizabeth and Zechariah and Simeon are all filled with the Holy Spirit at various times. It even says that Jesus was growing in the Spirit. But now, with the baptism, his filled with the Spirit and empowered.

To paraphrase J.B. Phillips, every time we say: “I believe in the Holy Spirit” we are saying that we believe that the Living God can come into our lives and make a difference and help us serve others and discover our ministries. How often do we think about this every Sunday when we say the Nicene Creed? How often do we think about it when we say the Baptismal Covenant? How much do we think about it when we make promises when an infant is baptized that, yes, the Holy Spirit fills us and will fill you and we will help you to discern the Spirit and discern your call to ministry? We should.

Because we are saying the Baptismal Covenant today (because it’s a special day), I invite you to think about the Holy Spirit, when you pray that “I believe in the Holy Spirit” and think about how the Holy Spirit empowers you; how you might feel the Holy Spirit in others communicating with you and how the Holy Spirit is calling you to your ministry of serving others as Jesus served others and his Divine nature was made manifest.

Peace,

The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC