Church of the Ascension

Gifts from God, Gifts for God

The Story for the
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
August 23, 2020

prepared by the Rev’d Rhonda Waters

Romans 12:1-8

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Something to Do

Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God

Your body, alive and vibrant, is holy and acceptable to God. Do something to enjoy it:

  • move it in a way that feels good;
  • rest it in a way that feels good;
  • use it to touch things that feel good, smell things that smell good, eat things that taste good.

Use it to do God’s work:

  • create something beautiful
  • tend God’s earth
  • care for another person

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind

Your mind is also a gift from God, to be treasured and placed at God’s service. Do something to enjoy it:

Use it to do God’s work:

  • create something beautiful
  • plan a strategy to implement something you have learned
  • write a letter to a politician about something you care about

Something to Wonder

Do not think more highly of yourself that you ought – but do not think less of yourself either!

Paul tells the Christians in Rome that each of them has gifts needed by the community – and no one has all the gifts needed by the community. The challenge, then, is to discern and embrace your true gifts. Take a look at the list of gifts identified in this week’s passage. Where do you see yourself? How would you describe your gift? How do you make use of them?

good, acceptable, perfect

“what is good, acceptable, and perfect” – this is the test Paul describes for discerning the will of God. What do these words mean to you? How do you know what is “good, acceptable, and perfect”? Have you experienced making a choice and then discovering the outcome was (or was not) “good, acceptable, and perfect”?

Something to Learn

Spiritual Gifts Inventory

This is not the only letter in which Paul encourages Christians to contemplate the gifts they have been given and commit to placing those gifts in God’s service. There have been many books and tools developed to help modern Christians do this work for themselves.

Take a look at this resource shared by St. John’s Anglican Cathedral in Winnipeg, including a test you can take for yourself.

Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.