Gifts
for the Family.
In Miss
Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behaviour, much is made of
thank-you notes, especially thank-you notes for wedding presents. One of her
sample letters reads as follows:
Dear
Aunt Patience:
Rhino
and I are thrilled with the magnificent silver sugar shaker you sent us. It
adds not only beauty and dignity to our table, but amusement, too, as some of
our friends who are both ignorant and daring have not waited for the berries to
be served but have shaken it over their meat. "This could only have come
from your Aunt Patience," said one, and we were proud to say that it had.
Rhino joins me in thanking you for your kindness. We look forward to having you
in our new home.
Love,
Daffodil
Most of
us have gotten gifts that we weren't quite sure how to use. We smile politely,
say "thank you very much," but think to ourselves, "What on
earth am I supposed to do with this?" With any luck, the giver will notice
a look of perplexity on our faces and give us some clue as to the intended
purpose of the item. But, just as often, we are left to figure it out for
ourselves. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don't, and there are times
that we just never find out how this beautiful but strange gift is supposed to
be used.
I would
bet that it wasn't too different for Jesus' disciples in this week’s scripture
from the gospel of John. Pentecost Sunday is a day when Christians give thanks
for God’s many blessings, for the Church in which we are nurtured and through
baptism are made members. Christians believe we receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit -- and the question is asked. "What on earth am I supposed to do
with this?" Nobody had ever received that gift before. There was no
helpful lady at the registry at Myers or David Jones to tell them just why they
should have this particular item and how to use it. And so, when Jesus breathes
on his followers and gives them this amazing and perplexing gift, he tells them
right away how to use it -- to forgive sins and to be bearers of peace.
When we
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, it is not ours to keep tucked away for our
private use. The Holy Spirit is a gift that is to be shared generously and
lavishly. Like the fine china and beautiful linens, we give and receive as
wedding presents, the Holy Spirit is given as a token of the day on which we
take vows to live in unity with Christ. And, like those beautiful dishes and
tablecloths, the Holy Spirit is a sign that our lives with the Lord will be
lived not in isolation, but in gracious and loving service to other people.
You
know Marriage legally forms earthly and visible families within communities,
groups of people who promise to be together in good times and bad, to balance
each other's talents and abilities, so that in sharing and giving of what they
have and who they are, they will live a life that is fuller and more satisfying
than any life they could possibly imagine having alone. Graciously with the
very best of what we have and the various talents of each person we are called to
make the whole thing work. This doesn't happen in isolation, but in consciously
living in the wider community of family and for Christians this is God's
family.
We
bring the beautiful and precious gifts of our baptism to the banquet table of
God's family. Each of us has something different and distinctive to bring to
this table. Each of us has something to give thanks for and we are called to
share those blessings that we have received. At God's table, every colour,
shape and texture of dinnerware -- from the finest gold-banded china to
hand-thrown pottery, and even paper plates -- is needed, wanted and welcome.
Until everyone has a place setting at the table, a place specially designed for
that person, there is something missing at the feast.
We are to
offer the gifts that we have as a welcome addition to the life of the family of
God, and to rejoice that it makes our life together fuller and richer than any
we could possibly imagine if it were absent. Pentecost seems to be the season
in which we celebrate such things. We look to the desire that all our lives
will be richer and fuller than it was before and that we are also enriched by
each one’s presence and gifts among us.
No comments:
Post a Comment