So far, we’ve had the opportunity to talk about the idea of stewardship as well as how we must steward our vocations as churchgoers to each other, and in terms of time. This week, we’ll approach the idea of talents. Now, talents are always a funny thing to bring up. I remember thinking I had no talent, especially when compared to the Stupid Human Tricks segment on Letterman. The thing I was best at was singing, and while my voice fit fairly well into a choir, it was never going to turn into any kind of career for me. Still, I plied my craft as best I could through high school and college. I did chamber choirs, touring companies, church singing, barbershop quartets. I sang with my choir in Lincoln Center. I sang at Disney World. I sang all over. I always was appreciative of being in eluded in these groups, but I never felt like it was fantastic, like I was making a difference, like I was special with that gift.
Until, on day, my family was joking around and my mom looked at me, and I don’t remember the context, and she told me that all she wanted as she lay on her hypothetical death bed is for me to come and sing to her. In that moment, all of those years of practice, classes, coaching, trying, came to a head and I realized, it doesn’t matter if my voice brings down the house, it comforts my mom. This is my mom, who needs me. My mom, who sang to me as a baby, sang to me as a boy. And now she wants me to sing to her. It was a moment that still makes me have some emotions, but a moment I realized that this talent I’ve been given was needed by someone I had never even thought would need it.
And that’s how our talents are supposed to be used. We are to go out there and do what we can and these talents will touch people. We have all been given certain talents, we’ve all cultivated certain gifts that are used for the building up of those around us. It might be singing. It might be teaching. It might be preaching. It might be acts of service. It might be cleaning out old accumulated stuff. It could be any of the spiritual gifts mentioned in the Scriptures, prophecy (which is preaching), words of encouragement, giving, leadership, mercy, wisdom, knowledge, faith, prayers, administration, or anything else.
Think about it. Who do you know who has the gift of service? Who has the gift of leadership? Who has the gift of prayer? Who has the gift of mercy? Who has the gift of administration? Or, put another way, who is a great servant of all? Who is a great leader? Who is a great prayer? Who shows great mercy? Who is a great administrator? And these are only talking about the gifts listed in the Scriptures? Who’s a great mom? A great dad? Who gives great hugs? Who sings well? Who is well-read? Who is a great cook? Who cleans bathrooms like no one’s business? Who throws a great party? Who plays a mean hand of Sheepshead?
When we think about talents, we should think about what it is we can use to serve others, no matter how well we think we can do at it. Now, I would say, few of us in here have the talent to go and do surgery, so I would suggest you not even try that to serve your neighbor. “Oh, you got an ache in arm? Where’s your pocketknife?” We’re a little limited that way. But there’s nothing to stop you from praying for your neighbor, lifting them up to the Lord, bringing them a casserole so that’s one less night they need to cook, watching their kids so they can go to the doctor. And most of us have talent we can use in that situation that would be directly applicable to them. Sometimes, we don’t. Sometimes, helping someone, outside of prayer, is outside our wheelhouse, but, wouldn’t helping them to find help be of service to them as well?
You see, we’ve been given neighbors to serve, not just our literal next-door or street-neighbors, but anyone God has put in our path, especially those we know by name. And God has given us gifts, especially through the faith given us by the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ, to serve those around us, comfort them, support them, lead them, help them. We are called to use our talents because God has given us the ability that is able to serve.
Think of talents this way: an ability God has given you to serve those around you in His stead. Have you paid attention to what I say at the beginning of the service, after you confess your sins? “In the stead, and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ…” I serve in His place. If Jesus were in front of you at that moment, He would say I forgive you. But, because He’s not bodily present at that moment, He’s sent me, in His place, by His authority, to serve you in such a way. I serve with His words, the way He wants me to serve. So it is with your talents, your abilities. You use them in the way that the Lord would serve the person in front of you if it were Him standing there instead of you.
Jesus would change the diaper. Jesus would clean the bathroom. Jesus would teach the children. Jesus would lend a comforting shoulder to cry on. And can you imagine Jesus’ green bean casserole? Oh, to die for, maybe literally. But, what we do serves others as Christ would have us serve them until He returns.
What are your talents? What are you able to do to serve others? What is God calling you to do? I would say, in every situation, first, pray. Pray that the Lord would grant mercy to those who need it, healing to those who need it, whatever it is. Pray. And then, when the most important thing you could do is done, think of what the need is, and how you can address it. How can you help? If you can’t, is there someone you know who can? And now, think of the Church. How can you help here? What can you do?
If all you can do is give according to your means, that’s a start. But I’m willing to bet that’s not what the Scriptures mean when they say someone has the gift of giving. That’s giving over and above what anyone would expect and still have enough to give again. We do give to the Church of our time, our talents, and even our treasure, which we’ll talk more about next week. But, can you help organize? Can you serve on the Altar Guild? Can you do evangelism? Can you reach down and hug a child of the school? Can you aid the teachers? Can offer them encouraging words? Can you lead a Bible study? Can you attend a Bible study? Can you help in the Food Bank? Can you help tidy up? Can you help around the office? Can you sing loudly and clearly (notice that doesn’t even say sing well)?
There are a million things to do in this place, and, as members of this church, we are called to aid one another in that service. And it’s not just in this place, but for the people of this place. Can you be a comfort? Can you pick people up to go to Church? Can you be a friend? There are a million needs we all have each and every day, and our family here is able to help meet those needs. That’s what coming to this altar means. It means, as redeemed children of God through the blood of Jesus Christ, as children who expect our Lord’s coming again soon, as children who look to the resurrection of the dead, and as children who do this all together, all in the same boat, all in the same place, God has called us here to serve one another in love. So, use your God-given talents in love, and don’t be afraid. You may not think much of them, but they may mean the world to someone else. God has given them to you for a reason, a reason you may never know, to serve a person you might never expect. Just talent on, my friends.
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