For the last two weeks I’ve been preaching on 1 Corinthians 12, the verses where it talks about us having a variety of gifts empowered by the same spirit.

It’s a message that Paul was giving to the church at Corinth, so that all people in the community would be honored and so that people would use their gifts for the common good.

Charismas for the Common Good
1 Corinthians 12: 1-11
In the first sermon, I talked about my dad’s giftedness as a carpenter (he carved the santa pictured here), and how my mom once said to me, “he’s so amazing” when she was talking about the woodworking that he does. I actually started a blog for/about him over here: Handcrafted Woodworking.

(As an aside, I have several boxes of really cool hand-crafted toys by him that I’d love to sell on his behalf. Message me if you’re interested. But, I digress…)

My point about my dad is really a point about all of us. When we step into the gifts that God has given us, and do the things that we love, the things that heal and center us, then we all become amazing.

If we do that, then together we are much more than we could ever be alone. This is how we become a blessing for the world, by receiving and living into the blessings that God has given us.

Body of Christ, Body of Humanity
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
In the second sermon, I talked about how important it is to work for the healing of the world from a center of Love and not from guilt or anger or fear. To accept that we are loved by God, to forgive ourselves and to honor ourselves (and each other), is not to become passive, but to become brave.

Coming from this core place of loving and being loved can make us brave enough to work to change the world.

Audio links here:
Nanette Sawyer- Charismas for the Common Good
Nanette Sawyer- Body of Christ, Body of Humanity