This Sunday the worship leader opened worship by telling the story familiar to many of us, Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree. She highlighted that was strikes her most about the story and many of us as well, is not only the giving nature of the tree, but the "happiness" with which the tree gives. After the tree gives up its branches, its apples, its trunk, the tree "is happy." How many of us feel that genuine happiness from giving in a way that makes our giving life-giving?
Making your life "life-giving" as well as "giving" may align with what Max Lucado calls "the cure for the common life". In his book, he outlines that this cure can be found where our everyday life intersects with our strengths and God's glory. Scripture seems to suggest that Max may not be too far off the mark.
Our Strengths
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. ~1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Like the metaphor of the body with many members in Romans, 1 Corinthians outlines the many gifts which come from one spirit. In fact, it's true. There are certain things that for some will feel draining or frightening but to others feel beautiful, inspiring and energizing. Thus the beauty of committees. I was sure that everyone on the TA team for CLAS 329 would want to work with the preceptors and their review sessions. But alas, it was only 2 of us who volunteered for that job, while I hung my head at the proposition of creating randomized lists or organizing meetings. For me, teaching and working with smaller groups of students in a hands-on way is life-giving, while to others it is life-draining. That, in itself, is a beautiful gift... the way the Spirit has gifted us differently so that we may work in many different ways to form a whole.
I recently had the blessing to be at a GCF (Graduate Christian Fellowship) Retreat, and this stood out to me once again. The gift of some to cook and organize, others to bring joy and laughter, others to take down/set up volleyball nets, others to take fantastic photographs of the whole time together, others to lead study groups, others to develop inspiring materials, others to offer insights during our small group time, others to pray. And together, the gifts make an even more beautiful gift... that of the body of Christ together making something really very special for everyone.
We read a chapter written by Yancey about Dr. Paul Brand and his work with leper colonies in various countries in the world. To me, it was amazing the way God was using Brand's passion, his talents, his uniqueness, his gifts to serve and give in a way that was also life-giving to Brand himself. Brand may have been no-good as a farmer who created sustainable crop, as a professor who was inside his office for many hours a day working with students, as a minister in a small rural town... but where he was, doing what he was doing, Brand had given his unique gifts and talents to the use of the Lord.
Everyday Life
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” ~Luke 10:25-37
The story of the good Samaritan was one that Bryce told this Sunday in church, reminding us that in today's terms the Levite and Rabbi who passed by would've been us Christians. The Samaritan, on the other hand, might've been a Taliban member or a Ismalic extremist or an atheist, in our terms. Not only did Jesus tell of a hero... He told of a controversial hero from the wrong side of the tracks, one who wouldn't be in church on Sunday. And yes, He was telling this to a Christian crowd... shaming us into recognizing that others may do this better than we do... because they may recognize that everyone is their neighbor, regardless of religion or background.
What I notice today as I re-read the story is that none of these 3 individuals went out seeking a heroic act, decided to take a Saturday morning to do a random act of kindness or help at the local foodbank. Instead, they were "passing through," they were on their way to somewhere else. They just "happened to" see the man on the side of the road.
It's hard to recognize that we don't live in a culture that stops for the person on the side of the road. We need to learn to give, to love, to help where we are when we see the need... no matter how small. It is exactly inconveniencing ourselves for the good of others that we are called to do, in that moment. Whether it's a student that we take an extra hour to help with an all-too-easy assignment or a colleague whose proposal we look over at the last minute, lending a book, or a cup of sugar, or offering a dinner to a friend who's been working non-stop. Our gifts or time, energy, compassion are meant not just for some, not just for Sunday mornings. They are meant to address the needs when we come across them in our everyday life.
God's Glory
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” ~Luke 10:38-42
I think that I read this passage of scripture a little differently than many. I do not, as many, think that Jesus was saying that listening to Him was better than making the preparations. Instead, I think the attitude was what counted here. In fact, we are told many times in scripture, as in the 1 Corinthians verse, that our gifts/talents could be beautiful gifts. Martha was certainly a talented cook, from what we could tell. But she was going about this all wrong. She had the absolute opposite attitude of the giving tree. Where the giving tree gave and "was happy", Martha was obliged to give and was certainly not happy... to the extent that she complained about her sisters' actions.
If what Martha really wanted was to listen to the stories, I imagine she could've listened at the door, even brought a bowl in to mix while listening to Jesus. Or she could've recognized her dinner preparations as serving the Lord in a special way, making things lovingly, specially for the Savior.
What Mary had chosen was better, but I'm not sure that is was sitting. I believe that Mary's choice to appreciate and honor and glorify the Lord in whatever she was doing was what was better. When we see our small actions (a phone call, a letter, an e-mail, a gift to a stranger) as service to the Lord, we are choosing what is better... we are choosing an attitude of giving that makes us happy, one that is truly life-giving.
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