Gifts by Association – Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost (Acts 16:14-18)

Today our scripture reading comes to us from the book of Acts. It is appropriate, because our sermon theme lately has been Harvesting God’s Gifts. Using what God has blessed us with and discerning how that might be used in the work of the church. The book of Acts is all about this kind of discernment and work. It is the story of the Apostles of Christ and their followers building the church with the gifts of the people. In fact, to let you behind the curtain a little bit, if I were to preach a sermon series on a similar theme again, I think it might all be based on stories from the book of Acts. There are many examples of how the gifts of the people helped the church grow. From the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, when those gathered begin speaking in tongues, they find the gift to communicate to be able to begin forming community. Later we read of all the people who bring their good and possessions and give them up for the use of the church, as they share in all their gifts for the good of one another. Then, today we heard the story of Lydia, the merchant of purple cloth who converts to Christianity and invites Paul and his followers into her home. She is certainly an example of someone who used her assets for the good of the church.

Grant it, this woman, Lydia, had many assets to contribute. She was a wealthy woman. We know this is likely because she was a dealer in purple cloth. This was not just because the color purple was symbolic of royalty or high status, but also because the purple dye required to make such cloth was very valuable. We also can guess that she was likely unmarried, so all her wealth was her own, because when she decided to get baptized, we are told the rest of her household, including servants and slaves, got baptized, as well. So, she had wealth, she had property, and she made it all available to the early church. So much so that here home became the central gathering place for the church in Phillippi. We can know this because in 16:40, after getting out of prison, Paul and Silas return to Lydia’s home. She was a model of the many people who opened their homes to the early church and its apostles. So, Lydia became an early partner in the work of the church, supporting the ministry with money, people, and space.

The second part of our scripture reading this morning was about the fortune telling slave girl. This girl was a victim. Exploited by her slave masters and possessed by some spirit that gave her visions. Still, she was also a nuisance to Paul and Silas. Following them around and constantly challenging them and their God. Her story reminds us that the church is also always called to help others. There will be people and events that may be relentlessly reminding us that there is work we are called to do. This girl was a victim. Exploited by her slave masters and possessed by some spirit that gave her visions. Still, she was also a nuisance to Paul and Silas. Following them around and constantly challenging them and their God. So, after several days of having this woman follow them around, Paul turns to her and commands the future-seeing spirit inside her to leave. And so it does.

The fortune teller in this story has “thrown down the gauntlet,” in a sense. She has not just been a nuisance, but she has challenged Paul and Silas and their mission in the world. This comes for us as well. There comes a time when we are called to put our gifts to the test. A time when we will be challenged. This was such a moment for Paul. Do you experience times like this? Times when your faith is challenged, and you feel the need to respond? Has there been some nuisance in your life that keeps reminding you of a particular trouble in the word?

I can think of one. It is certainly a nuisance every time one of our flags out front gets stolen or torn down. To say the least it is a nuisance. It can also feel infuriating, and sometimes it can even feel like a personal attack. Every time the Pride flag out front comes down it is a reminder that the world still needs us to be a place of inclusion and love for everyone. Especially the excluded and vulnerable. It is a reminder that the gifts God has given us, the assets we are blessed with, are needed in this world. And while we may not be able to cast out a troubling spirit, we can still practice love and inclusion in a world where people too often turn inward and focus on their hatreds and their self-centered grievances.

However, there is more to the story than that. This girl was not just a fortune-teller who was causing problems for Paul and Silas, she was also a slave. She was not just under the control of a spirit that could see the future, she was also under the control of her masters. They took advantage of this affliction of hers, as the scripture tells us that the girl made lots of money for her masters. They did not seek to help her, they sought to exploit her. So, the story of the pesky fortune teller shows us that there are people who will need the churches help because there are forces that are against the work of the church. There are also people who need the help of our gifts, so that they can realize the potential in their own gifts and not have them exploited by others.

So, in this story we can see new ways in which are gifts can be used, and we see new ways in which our gifts are needed. In the story of Lydia, we see that we are called to form partnerships in order to carry out the work of God. In the story of the fortune teller, we are reminded that we must not only look for partners, but also for those places where our help -our gifts and assets- are needed and can be of service. And so, it is with the assets we took inventory of for today’s sermon. There are the associations and organizations we might partner with, and then there are those causes or issues that we care deeply about. Those things that always say to us, “This is wrong. This is a problem. Something must be done.” These can help guide us in finding partners who care about these issues as well. In using our gifts, we must seek partnerships, to help and to be helped by others, but we also must recognize the responsibilities we are called to deal with and that call to us. Whether that is something we feel passionately about, or even if it is just some little nuisance that reminds us of where the trouble is and won’t leave it alone.

Luckily, God’s grace breaks through all kinds of barriers that create conflict between people, and groups of people. The church can be a place where perceived boundaries can come down and we can connect with others to fulfill God’s call for us. We see this in the story of Lydia. She heard Paul’s message about Jesus, and it changed her life. She was a Gentile, an unmarried woman, and she was part of a different social class than many of those converts. Yet her home became the center of the church in Philippi. She was open to others, even allowed herself to be changed, and so she was better able to meet the needs of the community. She became a partner in the work. It is God’s grace that makes partnership possible. It is God’s grace that makes partnerships effective.

Partnership has become a big part of the work of modern-day Christian missionaries, as well. In her book, Called as Partners in Christ’s Service: The Practice of God’s Mission, author Sherron George name five qualities that make an effective missional partnership. If we think about it, I think we can see these present in the witness of Lydia the purple cloth merchant. It starts with respect, compassion, and humility. Partnership involves recognizing the other person or entity as unique and with dignity and worth. It involves being able to hear where they are coming from and allow us to be open to their perspective and experience. This is especially important if we are the party coming with more resources and more power to try and help with an issue that is unique to the other’s experience.

The last two qualities on the list are, actually, four qualities, observing and participating, then receiving and giving. These qualities help to shape partnerships of mutuality. Both sides are bringing something important to the work, and we must find ways to become aware of that and to share with one another. These are things to keep in mind as we consider the next part of our Asset Mapping Process. Our respondents were asked to consider two things; what groups, organizations, or associations are already present and doing good work in our community, and then, what special interests or social causes are you passionate about. Considering these two things together might spark ideas about where our congregation could find partners in ministry.

Looking at the answers in the asset mapping survey revealed many possibilities. We are blessed to live in a big metropolitan area where there is a lot going on. There are lots of people with lots of needs, and so, there are necessarily lots of groups working to meet those needs and create opportunities. Who can we connect with as a Lydia and what issues are the fortune telling girl creating trouble and demanding our attention, or the slave girl needing our help? Several of the organizations listed were places with which we are already connected either through giving or through participation. Places like Micah 6, Troy People Concerned, Lighthouse, Ruth Ellis Center, and of course, our “sister churches,” meaning churches like Northminster Presbyterian, Congregational Church of Birmingham, and First Pres in Troy. These are important relationships as well, because other churches can make for good partners, and this extends to other Disciples of Christ churches in our area as well.

As far as the causes that stir your spirit and motivate your actions, the survey revealed various answers there as well. Causes that we are blessed to care about include homelessness, veteran’s issues, children and families, inclusion and equality, gun violence, hunger, the climate, economic justice, and caring for our church family among other things. The list is long, indeed. We see our care for these issues play in mission work and mission giving that we are already doing from assembling comfort bags for the unhoused population, to consistently producing over one hundred bags for the Detroit Public Schools Christmas giving program, to inviting Vets Returning Home to place one of their clothing collection bins in our parking lot. All things that line up with some of the causes listed in the survey.

Just look at CCB’s recent rummage sale, which we hosted in our building, as an example of effective partnership. They needed space, and we were able to provide it. Also, our congregations support many of the same local organizations and ministries. Which is to say we care about some of the same causes. Not to mention that the Disciples of Christ, our denomination, and the United Church of Christ, which is their denomination, share a stake in Global Ministries, which is the overseas arm of both our denomination’s mission work. All that is to say, part of the reason it was an effective partnership is because the ministries that were supported by the proceeds of this event were ones we have traditionally supported as well. There was an alignment in the assets we had available to share, a partnership that was based on mutual respect and a similar call to address the needs of certain causes.

This is just one example. I listed some other mission work we take part in, and I’m sure you can think of some that I’ve missed. Maybe there are things the church has been involved with in the past that I was unaware of but that you remember fondly. Whatever it is I hope it has sparked some thought for you. I hope that it makes us aware that when we consider the gifts we have from God, it is not just physical assets, or personal skill or knowledge. We are also blessed by with the gifts of the time and place where we have been planted. We are part of a community. A community that has needs we can help with, and that other people and organizations that we can partner with, because they care deeply about helping others too. So, as we see in the story from the book of Acts, this is one way the church evolves and grows; by responding to the needs of God’s people and in partnership with others.

Amen.