God Thought 5/24/23

Upper Room Daily Devotion
Nov. 16, 2022
By Sharon Christen (Texas, USA)

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. - 1 Corinthians 12:7 (NRSV)

I was sitting in the dining room with some other residents at our senior retirement center. We were talking about previous holidays with family and friends and what our particular job had been in preparing the holiday meal. For some, it was making the pies. For others, it was preparing the stuffing with either corn bread or white bread. My job was making fresh cranberry sauce.

As I reflected on this conversation, I realized that the worship and work of the church is much like preparing a holiday meal. We all have gifts to share. And we all receive gifts from others. During a worship service, the preacher preaches, the choir sings, the reader shares scripture, and the acolyte lights the candles. During the week, members pray for those who have submitted requests, Sunday school teachers prepare lessons and pray for their students, the custodians make sure the church is ready for meetings, and someone always makes sure the coffee is hot and the donuts are out!

Whether it’s our family or faith community, each person offers a gift that is necessary to the whole body. With joy, we get to share our gifts and receive the gifts of others.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear Lord, give us this day our daily bread, and inspire us to share it. Amen.