All that we need is a bit of a mess!??!!

Reading and reflecting on 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 this past week has been particularly personal as it speaks with a greater clarity into my current pastoral work here in the Illawarra and Southcoast region of New South Wales. In a parish that has seen significant decline over the years in terms of people and finances, there has grown almost an acceptance that we are on the way out. You could almost say there is a sense of resignation. Accepting the inevitable.  The reasoning behind this...the majority of the active membership are old. (and by old I mean that at 60 years of age I am one of the younger members here) Since the society at large considers them of little value, they have begun to see themselves in the same light. The words of Paul speak directly to this.  At the beginning of his letter to the Corinthians he reminds us that we are not lacking any spiritual blessing (that is needed) (1 Corinthians 1:7). Here in chapter 12 he reminds us that the gifts are apportioned in such way that the community is built up.  Another way of reminding us that we still have all that we need. My reading lead me to the writing of Mary Hinkle Shore on the Working Preacher website. She posed a couple of questions and another thought that is stirring me.  Here they are:

How do people know we are "Church"? 

A big question to ask, especially if you are a church like we are here in the Illawarra. Our foundational work of welcoming the early European migrants of Lutheran background to this area is long since finished. Which leads to the next question:

What is God doing in this place?  (and I would add "now"!)

Another big question and a struggle to identify what God is doing when it seems no matter which direction you look the view is one of decline and growing irrelevancy.  Still God is doing something here. Why else would he have given spiritual gifts to the people who are part of this faith community?  So it is one that needs to be wrestled with.

One final thought....to help keep the focus:

Whatever God's Spirit is doing, it will probably not be characterized by tidiness. When you are looking for the Spirit's gifts, look for a bit of a mess.