The Stradivari Society of Chicago performs an important role in the music world. The society entrusts expensive violins into the hands of world-class violin players who could never afford them on their own.
Top-flight violins made by seventeenth-and eighteenth-century masters like Antonio Stradivari produce an incomparably beautiful sound and now sell for millions of dollars each. Their value continues to climb, making such violins highly attractive to investors. But "great violins are not like great works of art," writes music critic John Von Rhein. "They were never meant to be hung on a wall or locked up under glass. Any instrument will lose its tone if it isn't played regularly; conversely, an instrument gains in value the more it is used."
And so it is that those who own the world's greatest violins are looking for first-rate violin players to use them. The Stradivari Society brings them together, making sure that the instruments are preserved and cared for. One further requirement made by investors in such violins: the musician will give the patron at least two command performances a year.
Like the Stradivari Society, God also entrusts exquisite "violins" into the care of others. God gives us spiritual gifts and talents of great value, which remain God's property. God wants them used. God delights to hear beautiful music from our lives. And God wants us to play just for God.
Last week we heard the story of the Wise Men who brought their gifts to worship and honor the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Just like those Wise Men, we each have special gifts to bring to ministry. God has uniquely created each one of us. God has called each one of us here in this time and place to the Congregational Church of Topsfield. God is depending on each of us to offer our gifts and talents in the ministry here within the church and in our little piece of God's kingdom in our lives. God is expecting each of us to work to strengthen the church through the offering of our individual gifts and talents. Only as each of us fulfills our unique calling is the church truly strong.
According to USA Today, on Wednesday, November 23, 1994, a couple named Sandy and Theresa boarded TWA flight 265 in New York to fly to Orlando and see Disney World. Theresa was almost seven months pregnant. Thirty minutes into the flight, Theresa doubled over in pain and began bleeding. Flight attendants announced that they needed a doctor, and a Long Island internist volunteered.
Theresa soon gave birth to a boy. But the baby was in trouble. The umbilical cord was wrapped tightly around his neck, and he wasn't breathing. His face was blue.
Two paramedics rushed forward to help, one of whom specialized in infant respiratory procedures. He asked if anyone had a straw, which he wanted to use to suction fluid from the baby's lungs. The plane did not stock straws, but a flight attendant remembered having a straw left over from a juice box she had brought on board the plane. The paramedic inserted the straw in the baby's lungs as the internist administered CPR. The internist asked for something they could use to tie off the umbilical cord. A passenger offered a shoelace.
Four minutes of terror passed. Then the little baby whimpered. Soon the crew was able to joyfully announce that it was a boy, and everyone on board cheered and clapped.
The parents gave the little boy the name Matthew. Matthew means "Godsent." The people on board the plane "were all Godsends," the father said.
Indeed, God had met the need through people who gave what they had and did what they could. God usually meets needs through people. This baby was saved because each individual was willing to offer their unique skills, talents and resources to help in the baby's time of need. As our scripture lesson points out, each of us has gifts that we can bring to our church's ministry on behalf of Jesus Christ. Paul stresses that every Christian is responsible to build up the church by sharing their talents, gifts and resources. We have all received grace for ministry and are expected to work to strengthen the church. Only as each person fulfills his or her calling is the church truly strong.
As each of us participates here at the Congregational Church of Topsfield, we will help others grow. As one biblical commentator put it, "Whatever gift we each have been given, we are under obligation to our Lord to use it to serve God's people. Other Christians need what each of us has to offer. As the human body is at a disadvantage without a foot, or an eye, or a kidney so the local church is harmed when the full panoply of gifts is not being exercised within it."
I brought a friend along with me this morning. Some of you might have met some of his cousins when you were growing up. For the children who are here this morning, who is this fine young man? That's right, it's Mr. Potato Head. And just like each of us, he has eyes, a nose, a mouth, arms and feet….unfortunately, he must not be a Red Sox fan..look at that green hat. Well, we will welcome him anyway. I want you to notice something, though. What happens when we take away his ears and his eyes and he just has this big mouth? That's right. All he can do is talk…he can't see what is going on around him….he can't listen to what we might want to say to him. So what happens in the church when all of the people who are good listeners don't participate? What about all of the people who are very observant and can see things that others of us, who are so busy talking, never see? What happens when they stay home and don't join in on church teams and activities?
We probably spend a lot of time running in circles in our meetings with everyone continually talking and no one listening or observing the bigger picture. Let's put Mr. Potato Head back together.
What happens when we take away his feet? He never goes anywhere. What happens to our ministry to the homeless and the hungry when no one is willing to help drive? If no one was willing to travel, our youth would never have been able to go to New Orleans this summer to help the Hurricane Katrina victims.
What happens to Mr. Potato Head when we take away his arms? No more hugs! Think of what our church would be like if the people with the gift of hugging no longer shared their hugs with us. Our special day on December 23rd with the concert, the beautifully decorated sanctuary, the Christmas play and the delicious lunch would never have happened if we did not have lots of willing hands pitching in to make that all possible. Let's put Mr. Potato Head's arms back…we need him to be able to give out hugs and a hand to those in need.
We here at the Congregational Church of Topsfield are so blessed by the many people who share their gifts and talents with us. I think of Karen Burnett and Jackie Cassiday who lovingly made this beautiful Epiphany banner to grace our worship service last week. I think of Bill Lamkin who gave me a quick tour of the inner workings over at the Emerson Center on the day we were concerned about possible flooding. He had carefully labeled all of the pipes so that anyone who came in to address a problem would understand how the pipes worked. I think of Jerry Seaman who took all of those pictures in the rain on Homecoming Sunday so we could have a picture directory for everyone to use. I think of all of the people who have worked on our Aspire Campaign and are continuing to help us repair our buildings and obtain a new organ. I think of the dedicated women from Women's Fellowship who faithfully come to serve the food so that grieving families can meet with their friends after the funeral of their loved one. You can hear me right now because of the faithful ministry of the unsung heroes in the balcony…Werner, Guido, Jose and Mike to name a few who keep our sound system working and videotape our service so our homebound and others in town can worship with us. And then there is Carole Hoover who I see every week lovingly caring for our library and helping Mark organize the music for the choir. I can't forget Conny Griesshammer who spends hours volunteering as our assistant treasurer, faithfully paying our bills and of course, our paychecks. Bob Jordan, our wonderful treasurer, shares his gifts in financial ministry spending multiple hours each week on our church's finances. Matt Bailey, Susan Gibbons, Maynard Moyer, and Russ Blauser are also faithful servants on our financial ministry. I can't begin to name all of the people and the ways they are sharing their gifts in this church. We are so grateful for each one of you and the gracious gift of yourselves you have selflessly made to the ministry of Jesus Christ. We are a strong, vibrant body of Christ because each of these people made the commitment to bring their gifts and talents to the altar and offer them to serve our Lord Jesus Christ.
The body of Christ has many different parts, each with its own function. But all the parts form "one body" and each part is needed if the body is to function as it should. If we are 'in Christ", we are in His body, inescapably joined to the other members of our church here in Topsfield. We can no more separate from each other than an arm can decide it does not want anything to do with the torso or the legs. We need each other. We cannot live the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ apart from the nurturing context of this wonderful Christian community of believers. We pray for each other, we encourage each other, we challenge each other and we make possible the ministries of this congregation that mean so much to each of us.
After an accident in which she lost her arm, a girl named Jamie refused to go to school or church for an entire year. Finally the young teen thought she could face her peers. In preparation, her mother called her Sunday school teacher and asked that he not call attention to Jamie. The teacher promised, but when he got sick on Sunday and had to call a substitute, he forgot to tell the second teacher.
At the conclusion of the lesson that day, which was about inviting friends to church, the substitute led the class in doing the hand motions to the familiar children's poems:

Here's the church,
Here's the steeple,
Open the door,
See all the people!

Jamie's eyes filled with tears. A 13-year-old boy realized how she must be feeling. He knelt beside her. With one hand apiece, they supported each other, making the church, steeple, and people. Together they illustrated what real church is.
We need each of you to bring your gifts and talents to the ministry of this church. Will you fulfill the special calling God has for you here? I pray with all my heart that you will.