Messy People, Beautiful God

Text focus: Romans 12:3-8

*This sermon was a hands-on sermon and will include references to an activity. If you want to participate fully, you will need a canvas or paper and paint or markers.

Before we get started today, I want you to look around at what is sitting in front of you.

You've got a canvas.

You've got paint.

And you've got permission to make a mess.

Now, for some of you, that is exciting.

For others of you, you're already thinking, "Pastor, I came to church today. I did not come to art class."

And that's okay, because God has been working with messy people all summer.

We can survive a little paint.

Because today isn't really about making something artistic.

It's about remembering something beautiful about you.

One of the things I love about opportunities to be creative is that creativity is a reflection of our Creator.

We know God is creative because we can look around and see the evidence.

The mountains and sky. The trees, flowers, and plants

The birds, fish, and land animals.

I mean look at the incredible diversity of human beings.

Not one of us is exactly like another.

We have different personalities.

Different interests.

Different abilities.

Different stories.

Different things we're good at.

Different experiences that have shaped us.

And God has even made us unique all the way down to our fingerprints.

There is nobody else in this room with your fingerprints.

That is pretty incredible.

So being creative isn't something silly or frivolous.

It is part of what it means to be made in the image of a creative God.

And sometimes I think we need permission to be a little silly.

To play, to make a mess and create something that isn't perfect.

Because perfection isn't the point.

God has always been willing to work with messy things

That's something we've been learning or maybe remembering all summer

As we’ve walked alongside Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob, Joseph, his brothers, and all of the other wonderfully complicated people we've encountered.

And if this series has taught us anything, it's that God does not require us to have everything figured out before God can work through us.

God works through messy people.

Including us.

So before we do anything else, I want you to take your canvas.

And I want you to put one fingerprint on it.

You can put it wherever you want.

Just one fingerprint.

If you are uncomfortable putting paint on your finger, that's completely fine.

You can write your name instead.

Because there is something important about your name.

God knows your name.

God knows you.

God knows your story.

God knows the things you're good at.

The things you struggle with.

Things you love about yourself and the things you wish were different.

And God knows the gifts that you carry.

We've spent this whole summer talking about messy people.

And yet God knew each of them.

God called each of them.

God stayed present in their lives and God worked through each of them.

So as you put that fingerprint on your canvas, I want you to remember:

There is no one else exactly like you.

And God knows you.

God sees you.

God calls you.

And God can use you.

Now we're going to take it one step further.

In a moment, I want you to paint your hand and put a handprint on your canvas.

If you don't want to do a handprint, you can trace your hand and color it in.

Or you can paint something else—a heart, perhaps, or another image that means something to you.

There is no right answer.

Because the point isn't what the picture ends up looking like.

The point is what we're going to think about while we're making it.

As you paint your hand, I want you to think about your hands.

Not simply your physical hands.

But your whole physical self.

Your ability to do something.

To show up, serve, build, teach, cook, write.

To call someone, offer a hug.

Create something, fix something.

Help someone, or sit beside someone who is hurting.

Our faith isn't only something we believe in our heads.

Last week AJ helped us remember that our faith, leads to action.

God uses our whole selves.

Our hands, feet, and voices

Our time, energy, and presence.

Now I want you to think about your heart.

Not just the organ inside your chest.

Think about the things you love.

The things you're passionate about.

The things that make you come alive.

The people you care about.

Your compassion.

Your capacity to love.

The things that break your heart.

The things that make you laugh.

The things that make you say, "Someone needs to do something about that."

Because God can use those things too.

As you paint, think about “What can God do through me, my hands, my heart, me.”

You may not know right now, and that’s okay.

This may be a little uncomfortable.

In fact, it may be downright scary.

But sit with the question: "God, how can you use me?"

That question can be scary because we don't always know what the answer will be.

And we've seen that throughout this series.

Abraham and Sarah weren't exactly expecting their lives to unfold the way they did.

But God gave them a promise and worked through them.

Isaac watched his plans fall apart, and yet God's promises continued.

Jacob lied, manipulated, ran away, and wrestled with God, and God still called him.

Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, lived through slavery and prison, and yet God was with him, and used Joseph in ways he could never have imagined.

There are plenty of reasons why we may think God picked the wrong person:

"I’m not good at that."

"I'm not qualified."

“I’m too old, I’m too young”

and sometimes just "Why me?"

And God's answer isn't always, "Actually, you are extraordinarily qualified."

God's answer over and over again is, "I will be with you."

That's the story we've been telling all summer.

God doesn't only use people who are prepared, strong, confident and know exactly what they're doing.

God uses people… People like us.

And that's where we arrive at Romans 12.

Paul says: "For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function..."

That's important.

Paul doesn't say everybody has the same gift.

He says the opposite.

We are different.

We have different abilities.

Different experiences.

Different personalities.

Different ways of serving.

Different things that we carry.

And then Paul names some of them:

Prophecy.

Ministry.

Teaching.

Encouragement.

Generosity.

Leadership.

Compassion.

But Paul's list isn't meant to be a complete inventory of everything God can use.

He could have also listed: Great cook, kind listener, welcoming friend

The point is this:

You have something.

You may not have everything.

You aren't supposed to,

Paul isn't giving us a personality test.

He's reminding us that God builds the church through people who need one another.

That’s why we gather in communities, so that our gifts can work together.

And God has entrusted something to you.

God has given you something valuable to share.

Which changes the question from "Am I useful?" to "God, how can you use me?"

Now when I say it might feel scary, I am speaking out of experience.

I answered the call to ordained ministry initially in 2017, and even in the process of going through seminary I would have said, I want to be a pastor, not a preacher.

I loved teaching, studying and learning about Scripture.

But preaching was not something I ever thought I would enjoy doing every week.

There are plenty of other people who can preach, and love to do so,

so why would God call me to do this?

And yet here I am, can you believe we’ve been together for a whole year!

What’s really crazy, even though it is hard, and takes a lot of work for me, I have found joy in it.

Studying God's Word, wrestling with Scripture, figuring out how this ancient story speaks into our lives today, and then being able to share the study and the struggle with you, is something that is so beautiful and holy and life giving in a way I never expected.

But I would not be standing here if I had never asked the question, "God, how can you use me?"

I didn't begin with certainty; I began with willingness.

And sometimes that's all God asks us to offer.

So as you finish the painting part of this project, I want to give you a few quiet minutes.

Think about that question: "God, how can you use me?"

Maybe you already know the answer; maybe you don't.

Maybe you've known the answer for years.

Maybe you're in a season where you're wondering whether your gifts have anything left to offer. But I want you to take this time to let the question sit with you.

You can think about this quietly.

Or you can talk with the people around your table.

Some questions that might help are:

What are you good at?

What do you love?

What do people come to you for?

What experiences have shaped you?

What do you have that might bless somebody else?

And remember: Don't choose what you wish you had.

Think about what you actually carry. And if you don’t know now is a time you can spend asking the question and listening. You don’t have to have an answer right now.

[Allow approximately 5 minutes for table conversation/quiet reflection.]

There's something else I want us to remember.

Our gifts can change.

I think sometimes we assume that if God gave us a gift once, we're supposed to use that gift in exactly the same way forever.

But that's not how life works.

And it's not how I have experienced God's calling in my own life.

There were seasons when I taught Sunday school, or led Bible studies.

Other seasons when mission and service took the lead.

And still others when God call me to study, and listen, and hope.

I didn't abandon the calling as those seasons changed, in each season I found myself in a places where my gifts and energies change to better serve my own spiritual journey, the church, and most importantly what God is placing on my heart.

The gift changed, but the calling didn't disappear.

And maybe that's true for some of you.

Maybe you're in a season where your gifts are changing.

Maybe your body doesn't work the way it used to.

Maybe you retired from a job where you knew exactly what your contribution was.

Maybe it’s harder for you to do something you once loved doing.

And it is okay to grieve that.

It is okay to lament what you used to do.

But don't get stuck there.

Because a changing gift is not a diminished gift.

It may simply be a different gift.

Maybe your strength has become wisdom.

Maybe your ability to do has become your ability to encourage.

Maybe your leadership has become mentoring.

Maybe your physical energy has decreased while your ability to listen has deepened.

Maybe you no longer have the energy to build a house with habitat for humanity,

But you can sit beside someone who is hurting.

Maybe travel has become difficult,

But you can be present over the phone or even video call.

You may struggle to do something that was once a gift of yours,

but God isn't finished with you.

God does not retire people from God's purposes simply because they retire from their jobs.

Your calling does not have an expiration date.

So now I want you to look at your canvas.

Hopefully it's mostly dry.

Look at the piece of art you've made.

And now I want you to write one word somewhere on your canvas that reminds you who you are or what God is calling you to share.

Maybe your word is loved, brave, patient, enough, wisdom, welcoming, joy, compassion, teacher, called…

Whatever word you choose, write it on your canvas.

And as you do, remember:

You are not an accident.

You are not finished or used up.

You are not forgotten.

You are God's beloved creation,

and God has been purposeful in giving you something valuable to share.

[Allow approximately 1 minute for people to write their word.]

We've spent the summer walking alongside messy people.

Abraham and Sarah taught us that God's promises can come through impossible circumstances.

Isaac taught us that God's work continues when our plans fall apart.

Jacob taught us that God's grace can find us when we're running away, and that God can transform us through our struggles.

Joseph taught us that God can protect us in the pit and prepare us in hidden seasons.

And Joseph's forgiveness taught us that God can redeem even our deepest wounds.

Jacob’s blessings at the end of Genesis reminded us that each person has something unique to offer.

And now Paul tells us: You have a gift.

That means the story isn't finished.

Because God isn't finished with you.

God has given you something valuable.

Something uniquely yours.

Something that you can share with your family, your church, your community, the world.

And when you share it, it becomes a blessing.

If we're serious about asking ‘God, how can you use me?’

then we need to become people who actually listen for God's answer.

That's why I'm inviting you to join me in something called Dynamite Prayer this fall.

The Mountain Sky Conference is inviting churches to participate in a month of intentional daily prayer during October with the goal of listening and discerning what is next for us not just as individuals, but it is a time to discern what God is doing in our community and among the body of the Church.

Dynamite Prayer — Mountain Sky Conference - https://www.mtnskyumc.org/dynamite-prayer

I want you to consider over the next couple of weeks whether you would be willing to make a commitment to pray every day, and if you might be able to join a dedicated hour of prayer once or twice a week. The conference is doing this each Wednesday evening on Zoom. And if there is enough interest, I would also love for us to create a dedicated space here at church where we can gather together during the week and pray.

Because maybe one of the ways God is inviting you to participate in this season is prayer.

Maybe it is encouragement.

Maybe it is listening.

Maybe it is showing up.

Maybe the way God is using you right now is in telling your story, sharing your wisdom, or being present for someone who needs to know they aren't alone.

We've spent the summer walking alongside messy people.

And maybe somewhere along the way, you've recognized yourself.

Maybe in Abraham or Sarah

Maybe in Isaac or Jacob.

Maybe in Joseph.

Or maybe in one of the many others they interacted with.

But there is one more person we need to recognize in this story.

You.

Because the story of Scripture is filled with ordinary people.

People who were afraid.

People who made mistakes.

People who weren't sure they were qualified.

People who were too old or too young.

And God used them anyway.

Not because they were extraordinary.

But because God is extraordinary.

That's the beautiful thing about God.

God doesn't wait until we have everything together.

God meets us where we are.

God gives us what we need.

And God invites us to participate in God's work.

So take your painting home with you today.

Don't put it in a drawer.

Put it somewhere you will see it every day.

And every time you look at it,

in fact, join me now in looking at it and remember:

God knows me.

God loves me.

God is with me.

God works through me.

God has given me something to share.