Wednesday, July 16, 2025

“God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit…Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful... All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.” (1 Corinthians 12: 4 11, The Message Bible)

           As many of you may know, baseball is my other “religion.” It has been that way for about as long as I can remember. I can recall swinging a bat at a ball when I was less than five years old, in our driveway on the farm that we owned at that time. My father passed his love for the game on to me which I then passed onto our sons (our daughters enjoy the game, too). Nick was only a few days old when he sat on my lap as we watched a World Series game on TV. Now, our grandchildren also love the game. Two of our grandsons play for rep teams in Mississauga. It’s in our DNA.

            Last night was the annual MLB All-Star game. It’s the gathering of the best of the best in professional baseball.  I don’t think that I have missed very many all-star games over the many, many years. Last night’s game was a thriller.

            It is so much fun to watch these elite baseball players showcase their talents, all at one time, in one place. For some, it was the first time they had ever been to an all-star game. For others, it was old hat but I got the sense that it still has an aura of specialness for them.  It takes a great deal of talent just to make it to the big leagues for each and every ballplayer whether they ever make it to an all-star game or not. To be chosen to go the All-Star Game is recognition of baseball being performed at its highest level.

So, what’s the connection between an all-star game and what Paul is writing about? Let me preface my observations with noting that Paul would often refer to the men and women of the churches to which he wrote as “saints.” E.G. “To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae…  In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.” (Colossians 1: 2, The Revised Standard Version). He doesn’t mean, I believe, “saints” in the sense of people who are holier-than-thou, pious and flawless. We know from his letters that these folk were anything but perfect, even in their lives as Christians. But what makes them saints is that God loves them, has redeemed them and they stand beside Jesus Christ in their daily lives, “because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus.” (Philemon 1:5). Nobody is better than anyone else among these believers. Love and compassion are the hallmarks of their sainthood.

To put it somewhat tritely, each and every Christian has All-Star credentials.  Because of God’s Spirit everyone has been given a gift or a talent to use in the fellowship of bonding with other believers to make a difference in the world, set an example and be a witness to the Love of God through Jesus Christ. “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians 4: 15 -16)

Every gift or talent is needed whether you are preaching from a pulpit or washing dishes after serving a meal for the homeless. “In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.” 1 Corinthians 12:22) There is no place for elitism, conceit, egotism, superiority or boasting when one is acting saintly in the Church.  “So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” (12:24 -27))

All of us are called to be saints, to make God’s All-Star team.

Batter up!

 Dale