When I was a kid, one of my favorite errands to run with my mom was a trip to the fabric store. I loved walking into the store and breathing in the mixed up smells of fabric, paper patterns, and glue that just exuded craftiness. I really loved it when we were there to actually purchase fabric instead of other supplies. I loved walking through row after row of different bolts of fabric and admiring the colors, textures and patterns. I admired the organization of the fabrics which were divided according to types of material and then subset into color groupings.  And then, if that wasn’t treat enough [at least for an OCD leaning kid like me!] we would select our fabrics and carry the bolts to the cutting counter.

 

The cutting counter was my absolute favorite part of the store. If you have never been to a fabric store you are missing out on a marvelously simple and yet effective design for making the measurement and cutting of fabric quick and easy. A cutting counter is a surface that has a yard stick built into the surface of the counter so that the store associate can just flop the fabric bolt out on the counter and measure a yard at a time and then pull the fabric and flop out more as needed, depending on the yardage requested by the customer. Once the correct yardage has been measured the marked spot is moved to the end of the measuring stick where there is a groove set in the counter that allows a pair of scissors to pass through the fabric in a fairly straight line and voila, you have your fabric yardage.

 

I loved the whole process of the cutting counter. The quick conversation between the associate and customer about length specifications. The thunk, thunk, thunk as the fabric bolt was flopped over and over to unfurl the fabric. The alignment of the fabric with the edge of the counter to ensure it was straight. The snip, snip, snip as the scissors glided through the groove to make the final cut. And finally the quick folding of the cut fabric into a small square with a paper pinned to it stating the length and price per yard to take up to the register. The whole process from start to finish inexplicably made my spirit buzz.

 

I invite you now to think about what kinds of things inexplicably make your spirit buzz. [You may have already begun to ponder this during children’s time this morning.] What activities, events, interactions or processes make you feel curious, or full of wonder, or fill you with a desire for action? When we begin to intentionally think about and explore these kinds of questions as individuals, we may start to get a sense of some of the Spirit given gifts that are present within us – whether we develop and act on them or not in our daily living. No, I am not suggesting that fabric cutting is a gift of the Spirit [although I won’t fully rule it out either] what I am getting at is that there are things within each of us that spark when we experience them, awakening us and energizing us for life in new ways.

 

And those sparks are different for each of us. Yes there may be some cross-over in gifts and interests, but the combination inherent within each individual is unique. Unique specifically because we are each created to be a vibrant celebration of the diversity of God’s kindom. A kindom that uses diversity to create and ensure unity in Spirit.

 

From I Corinthians 12:

 

There is a variety of gifts, but always the same Spirit. There is a variety of ministries, but we serve the same One. There is a variety of outcomes, but the same God is working in all of them. To each person is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

 

The manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Now there’s the rub. In that one sentence we are reminded that we each house a piece of the Spirit of God and that our piece of the Spirit is to be shared. It isn’t present to only enhance our own personal lives and experiences. It is present within us so that we may embody and offer it in ways that enhance life for everyone. We are called into participation with the Spirit and through the gifts of the Spirit we are empowered for that collaboration.

 

That is what the story of Bezalel in Exodus 31 is getting at. It is an account of the Spirit being given as a specific skill set to the artisans of the community so that they have the ability to create the items on the list of requirements set forth by YHWH for the creation of the Tent of Meeting and its accessories.

 

YHWH said to Moses: “Know that I have singled out Bezalel…whom I filled with the Spirit of God. Bezalel has skills, wisdom, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts – creating designs in gold, silver, and bronze, cutting and setting precious stones, carving wood, and artisanship of every sort. I have also appointed Oholiab…to be Bezalel’s assistant. And I have given wisdom to all your artisans, so that they can make for you everything that I have commanded.

…They will make these things just as I have laid them out for you.

 

In this moment God has put forth a very specific set of requests for the people to fulfill. Yet God does not leave the people floundering in their attempt to bring God’s vision into reality. God pours out God’s Spirit into the artisans through very tangible skill sets: creating designs, cutting and setting stones, and carving wood. All of these very technical skills are being put to use for the kindom of God.

 

Through this story we also see that the gifts of the Spirit truly do come in many forms, not just the healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, or gifts of speaking and interpreting tongues that Paul refers to in his letter to the Corinthians. Gifts of the Spirit can be tangible or technical skills: baking, organizing, data analysis, babysitting, cleaning, listening, playing, creating, perhaps even fabric cutting…

 

One day, after a trip to the fabric store with my mom as a kid, I decided to set up my own fabric store at home. I taped a ruler to the edge of my desk and, after serious consideration, disappointedly decided against actually cutting a groove into the surface of my desk for the scissors to make the cutting counter. I then took my baseball card collection, picked out the duplicate cards and wrapped them in toilet paper to make the fabric bolts. I would then take my miniature fabric bolts and flop them out on my created cutting counter and cut the toilet paper with scissors when the desired measurement didn’t align perfectly with the existing perforation of the toilet paper. The homemade experience wasn’t quite as exciting as the real deal, but it offered me a chance to actually try out the task that looked so enticing to me when others were doing it.

 

During gifts discernment season here at Hyattsville, you too have the opportunity to take a risk and try out something that you sense may be of interest to you. In action, it may or may not end up being a good fit for you – and we can work with that. It may also take you by surprise and open you up to a whole new way of experiencing this community and the Spirit.

 

You are also invited to offer the use of the gifts of the Spirit you know thrive within you. This is a place where we explicitly explore what it means to be participants in the kindom of God and so this is a safe space to use your God given gifts and further develop them so that you may then carry them into your life in all settings.

 

In addition, you are also encouraged to look around you, to your left and right, in front and behind – you are surrounded by a community of people filled with diverse gifts of the Spirit – people who may or may not fully know what their basket of gifts includes. Sometimes, we need help in identifying the gifts that are present within us. A word of support, a nudge of encouragement, or a suggestion seemingly out of the blue can also trigger a spark of interest and empower those around us to explore and offer the best of themselves in their living.

 

The Apostle Paul talks about gifts in a variety of ways, not only in I Corinthians, but also in his letter to the Romans and in that letter, his emphasis is on making use of the gifts given to us. Romans 12:6-8:

 

We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophecy, use it in proportion to your faith. If your gift is ministry, use it for service. If you are a teacher, use your gift for teaching. If you are good at preaching, then preach boldly. If you give to charity, do so generously; if you are a leader, exercise your authority with care; if you help others, do so cheerfully.

Seeking out the things that make our spirits buzz, making space for those things in our lives and then, by the grace of God, putting them into action is what gifts discernment is about.

This process of identifying gifts in ourselves or others and then making use of them isn’t something that is confined within the walls of the church. The gifts of the Spirit travel with us in all aspects of our living, so yes, I hope that those of you who are participants in the life of HMC will consider filling out a gifts discernment form this year [if you haven’t already done so]. I also invite each of us to open ourselves up to awareness of the gifts within and around us in all places that we may be ready to offer and encourage enhanced living in all our encounters.

Now, where is Jesus in all of this? We have looked at some of Paul’s writings on the subject of gifts and at the experience of Bezalel in the Exodus story and yet the Anabaptist tradition is to look at scripture through the lens of Jesus. So where does Jesus fit into this idea of gifts discernment? True to form, Jesus himself is a stellar example of what it is to embody one’s spiritual gifts and put them into action.

Take for example this passage from Matthew chapter 9 starting at verse 35:

Jesus continued touring all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of God’s reign and curing all kinds of disease and sicknesses.

Here is Jesus being true to Jesus. Here he is being present with people, teaching them, offering them words of hope and extending healing everywhere he goes. This is the work of the Spirit in Jesus empowering him for action. It is through the willing participation of Jesus to be moved to action that these gifts of the Spirit are given the opportunity for manifestation, impacting not only the life of Jesus, but also the lives of everyone he encounters.

The impact of the Spirit’s work in the lives of people is not lost on Jesus. Continuing on with verse 36:

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus said to the disciples, “The harvest is bountiful but the laborers are few. Beg the overseer of the harvest to send laborers out to bring in the crops.”

Jesus sees the need for the presence of the Spirit within people. Jesus also knows that it takes the participation of many who are willing to offer their gifts and participation to the work of the Spirit for that work to truly take shape in the world.

The harvest is bountiful – many of you have probably heard these verses used in reference to the salvation of souls – today I want to suggest that we can also frame them in light of the work of the Spirit. The harvest is bountiful – there is an abundance of Spirit available. Beg the overseer of the harvest to send laborers out to bring in the crops – pray that we may open ourselves up to the gifts of the Spirit within and around us and be willing participants of their use in the world.