Sermon for August 31st, 2014

Quasimodo, the famous bell ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, had retired after many years on the job. So the Bishop sent word throughout the streets of Paris that a new bellringer would need to be appointed, one with only the greatest talent and skill. After interviewing several promising candidates up in the bell tower, the Bishop was about to call it a day, when a man with no arms approached him announcing that he was there to apply for the post. The Bishop, incredulous declared, "My Son, you have no arms!" "No matter" replied the man. He then proceeded to strike the bells with his face, producing the most beautiful melody throughout the streets of Paris. The Bishop was astonished at the man's skill and his talent despite his great disability, and promptly offered him the job. But the next day, while ringing the bells, the armless man tripped, and plunged headlong out of the bell tower to his death in the street below. By the time the Bishop arrived on the scene, a crowd had gathered around the fallen figure, drawn by the beauty of the music they had heard just a moment before. As they parted in silence to allow the Bishop through, someone asked, "Bishop, who was this talented man?"

"I don't know his name" replied the Bishop sadly, "But his face sure rings a bell."

Talents and skills come in all kinds of different shapes and sizes; some we seem to just be born with, and others seem to be the result of years of practice and development.

But those of you who were here last Sunday for the first sermon in our series this fall on "Spiritual Gifts, Spiritual Ministries" will recall that Spiritual Gifts in the New Testament are a little bit different. They are not, strictly speaking, "special abilities given by God to individual Christians."

They are, rather, what we (collectively and individually) offer to God when we give our time, our energy, and our resources to God's work in the world, particularly through God's family, the church. The spiritual gifts that Paul describes in his letter to the Romans are ones that anyone can give, at anytime, not based on our own abilities or preferences, but based on the needs and opportunities in the community.

A driver did the right thing, stopping at the school crosswalk even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman behind him went ballistic, pounding on her horn and screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to drive through the intersection with him. Still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer.

The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, "I'm awfully sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping the guy off in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him.

I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' license plate holder, the 'Follow me to Sunday School' bumper sticker, the chrome plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk and the 'My Boss is a Jewish Carpenter' decal on your back window.......

Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car.