One Body, Many Gifts, One Spirit

The Day of Pentecost (Year A)

Scripture

First Reading: Acts 2:1-21 or Numbers 11:24-30

Psalter: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 or Acts 2:1-21

Gospel: John 20:19-23

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Prayer

Holy God, you spoke the world into being. Pour your Spirit to the ends of the earth, that your children may return from exile as citizens of your commonwealth, and our divisions may be healed by your word of love and righteousness. Amen.

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Reflection

Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of services but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:4-7).

The Corinthians are a fractured church. There is infighting. Clicks have developed. The worship, especially the Lord’s Supper is a free for all. If there is unity in the Corinthian church, it is difficult to see when the community is gathered.

The Corinthians seem to be involved in a game of one-upmanship. In their worship, the diversity of spiritual gifts that is to reflect the unity of the entire body have been used to further divide. Some relish their gift of being able to speak in tongues and look down upon those who do not and exercise different gifts.

Paul writes to affirm that the diversity of the gifts of the Spirit are to build up the unity of the body. Paul says there are “a variety of gifts but the same spirit, and there are a variety of services but the same Lord. There are a variety of activities, but it is the same spirit for the common good.” Each person has their part to play in the life of the church and its mission. The problem the Corinthians face is not lack of diversity; it is lack of unity. The church is indeed the one body of Christ with many parts that function together toward the whole. All the parts are important and necessary.

Paul makes the important point that the gifts are activated by the same Spirit, and allots to each one individually, just as the Spirit chooses. In other words, Paul is saying is that the Spirit will do what the Spirit will do. The Spirit will give the gifts. The spirit chooses for each individual. It is not our place to judge whose gifts are more or less spiritual, whose gifts are more or less important, and who should get what gift. In fact, they all have the same significant role to play in the working of the Body of Christ.

All Christians have been redeemed by the same Lord and brought into the one Body of Christ by the same Spirit. There is no room in the church for elitism, or smugness, or condescension… two thousand years ago… or today.

PRAYER: Perplexing, Pentecostal God, you infuse us with your Spirit, urging us to vision and dream. May the gift of your presence find voice in our lives, that our babbling may be transformed into discernment and the flickering of many tongues light an unquenchable fire of compassion and justice. Amen.

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