"Super Scripture" - I Corinthians 12:12-26 - January 25, l998

Well, here it is, Super Bowl Sunday. For all you football fans this is the biggest, most sacred day of the year. And for others, it means absolutely nothing. But, whether or not you have any interest in this game your life is affected by it. Some family members and friends will not be available because they are attending parties. Your newspapers, your television and radio programs are all talking about the big game. You may have no interest at all, but someone has asked you who you want to win. The day has become part of our culture and for many a major distraction.

Many will be so preoccupied with the Super Bowl that they will not be aware of what is happening in the rest of the world. Forget Cuba, the White House, even El Nino will take a back seat. Like it or not the Super Bowl is as big as Chevrolet and apple pie. Do you think God really cares who wins this game?

Today, however I am not here to talk about the Super Bowl. I am here to talk about something that is just as super. Specifically, I Corinthians l2. This is a "Super Scripture" and I think you would be amazed at the connection between what will happen on the field in Sand Diego and what Paul is saying to the Corinthian Church. Go ahead and take in all the hype from the Super Bowl, but these words are "Super Scripture."

What do you think the announcers will give the most commentary on today? It won’t be the great strategy or the conditioning of the players. It will be who can make the most creative dance in the end zone following a touchdown. Not only will the cameras be totally focused on the players, strutting their stuff, but also on the reaction of his teammates on the sidelines.

Notice what Paul says about members of the faith who boast or believe they are superior to others. "The body does not consist of one member, but many." And, "No part of the body can say to the others that they do not need them." Also, "The weaker parts are indispensable." Paul would never say that the person who makes a touchdown is any better than the person who hiked the ball. In other words, the person who washed the uniforms or filled the water barrel is no less important than the players on the field. In fact, Paul says, the weaker parts deserve greater honor. Whenever we focus on a single person it is at the expense of everyone else.

Paul is saying that just as every person in organized football depends on every other person, people of faith depend on other people of the faith who have different gifts. Unfortunately, it is the most visible and most extroverted that get our attention. The quiet, behind the scenes people, are just as important as those out front. Unless we see or experience a direct connection with another person of faith we take them for granted or live as if they don't exist. Paul wants to realize that every member of the faith is important, no matter what their gift.

After my wife and I had boarded the plane from Sarasota to Dayton this week and had reached an altitude of 30,000 feet, I realized that I did not know the person who was flying the plane. I didn’t see him (or her) until the flight was over. I had no idea of his qualifications or current state of mind. I had put my life (and my wife’s) in the hands of a total stranger. I was sure the plane had a pilot since we taxied out to the runway and took off but I never saw him (or her). I had completely trusted my life into the hands of a total stranger. This unidentified person would fly me safely home although I never had an opportunity to develop a personal relationship. This is what Paul is saying to the people of faith. That we need to trust our brothers and sisters in the same way and sometimes putting our lives in their hands. That is "super faith."

In football, a coach who is worth his (there are no women in the NFL) salt will tell you that in order to be effective you have to have balance. You need a good defense and a good offense. You need a passing attack and a running attack. You need a good quarterback and good receivers. You need strength and you need speed. This is true in life. You need work and rest, a healthy diet and variety of activity. But, if folks have a problem today it is the fact that they keep tipping the scales by adding activities and not eliminating others. Perhaps you are able to balance your checkbook, but can you balance your weekly schedule?

I recently returned from a continuing education event in Winter Park, Florida, sponsored by the Alban Institute. One of the important things that the leader said was that a congregation must have balance. One of the reasons churches are out of balance is that they are too focused on quantity and not quality. If, for example, growth is seen as quantitative but qualitative then the system is not balanced. We have gotten into a rut of numbers, that more is better, that an increase in attendance is reflective of a growing church. We don’t just need to be adding to our numbers we need to be growing in our faith.

The same is true for our lives. People think they will be happier if they have more money and have more stuff. But, those who have reached higher levels are not finding fulfillment. The reason is they have added things to their lives but they have not grown. Paul is telling us that we grow when we come to the realization that the most insignificant people in our lives may deserve the most honor. "All parts of the body," says Paul, "need to be cared for." Why? Because we are all on the same team.

Each football team has a playbook. It contains "end arounds", buttonhooks" and "off tackle" running plays. This is a teams strategy. Their goal is to score touchdowns. The media has a goal too, to score great profits from creative commercials. Paul has goals too. His goal is to give people hope by setting people free, giving them vision and healing their hurts. People who care about other people do not wear super bowl rings or find themselves in the spotlight for a famous end zone dance. They don’t receive trophies or bonuses. They are the ones who willingly extend their love without expecting anything in return. But, they are still part of the team. I know that the pilot was necessary to fly the plane. But I also know that without passengers he wouldn’t have a job. In that sense we needed each other.

My mother and I were having one of our theological discussions last week. She was telling me that her church was putting great emphasis on getting bigger, making a name for itself in the community and trying to reach new people. These were worthy goals. But, she said it seemed to be at the expense of the faithful few who do much of the work behind the scenes. She was feeling forgotten and ignored. She then told me that what she remembered the most about her life in the church was not the beautiful buildings or inspirational ministers but faithful people who helped her when she was down or helped her to grow.

My mother then told me the story that one day her neighbor called and asked her to come over. She was feeling overwhelmed because of her unruly teenage son and daughter who was contemplating suicide. My mother, who did not work outside the home, went over and just listened. The next day she heard a knock at the door and the neighbor lady was there. She told my mother that she had been helped greatly. Her visit had gvien her a great lift and a renewed sense of hope.

"The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." There is none here that is anymore super than anyone else. What we are about is not winning and losing. What we are about is caring for one another. "For if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio