"Doing What We Can"Dr.
James Mayfield May 11, 2003
The story we read is amazing. Peter and John were going to pray at the temple. They were confronted by a man who was unable to walk. When he asked them for money, Peter responded saying: "I don't have any money, but I will give what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." Then, Peter took the man by the hand, and the man was not only able to stand but to walk and leap about, praising God for the gift he had received. It is a strange and marvelous story. One of the ways we keep this story at arms length is for us to focus on such questions as: "Did this really happen?" or "How did this happen?" As long as we are dealing with these kinds of quesitons we do not have to deal with the implications this story has for our living. But today I want us to examine one of the implications of this story. Since we are called to be disciples, we are called to follow in the steps of disciples such as Peter and John. Before we back off saying: "But I can't do what Peter did in this story" it would be wise for us to look at what Peter said in this passage. He told the man, "I don't have any money, but I'll give you what I have." Peter gave what he had to give. This is all that is expected of any of us. God does not expect us to do what is impossible for us to do. God does expect us to do what we are capable of doing. God does expect us to make use of the gifts we have been given -- the gifts of abilities, opportunities, education. We are to do what we are able to do as we come face to face with the needs of the world. At the Men's Breakfast Wednesday we were talking about this passage, and its implications. I asked the men to share what they had to offer. Tracy Warren said, "I can read and write." Before we could congratulate him on this great achievement, he went on to talk about what he and several others in our congregation are doing. Each of them invest one hour a week helping one elementary child who is having trouble learning to read and write. Each of them is saying to these children, I cannot take you out of your poverty; I cannot give you an ideal homelife; but what I can, I give you; I will help you learn to read and write. And low and behold, Tracy and the others are helping these children gain these skills that will them free from bondage to ignorance and the ways ignorance cripples. What do you have to offer? Tracy and the others have responded saying: "I can read and write." It does not seem like much, but when it is shared in relationship with a child who does not get help at home, it is as great a gift as the healing Peter offered the man who could not walk. In other ways, others of you have have given what you have to help those in need; you have given time and skill, and you have given money that enables others with skills and time you do not have to do ministries that are needed. Of course, sometimes what we have to offer is not doing anything, but simply being there. A couple of weeks ago, Rita and I went to San Saba to visit the graves of my parents and grandparents. It was a warm afternoon, and before returning to Austin, we went by the Dairy Queen for a lemonade. As we sat there in cool, Rita asked: "Who does this place make you think of?" And I knew whom she was talking about. We had been sitting in that Dairy Queen several years ago, waiting for the time of my mother's burial service. when in walked Tom Allen. Tom had never met my mother but nonetheless he had driven from Austin just to be there. On that afternoon years ago, we visited with Tom but I do not remember the conversation. But I remember his presence. Tom did not say these words, but his presence said: "I cannot bring your mother back to life. I cannot take away your sorrow. But I will give you what I can. I will be here with you." And his presence comforted me, that is to say, God's grace working through Tom's presence helped give me strength to face what I had to face as well as power to move on. God's grace working through Tom's presence, much like God's grace working through Peter's words, comforted me. Sometimes all we have to offer is our presence, and more often than we may know, it is more than enough. Peter said to the beggar at the gate: "I don't have any money to give you. But I will give you what I can." Each day, in each situation this is all God expects, that we offer what we are able to offer. Sometimes it is comforting a friend when his mother dies, or through some church sponsored ministry, helping children learn to read or building furniture in Honduras or repairing a house in East Austin. However, our primary mission field, our primary area of service is where we are as we live the routine of our daily lives -- in the classroom or in the office, in the capitol or in the laboratory, in the home or on the golf course. Wherever we are, we are to follow Peter's example, and when we come in contact with someone who needs what we have to offer, we are to give it. We may say: "But I don't have anything to offer." Well, I am convinced, each of us has more to offer than we are aware of. God has loaded each of us with more potential than we will be able to use in a long lifetime. Even if we used all the potential it was possible to use from the day we were born until the day we died, we would not have used all the potential God had given us because if any of the events in our lives had been different, we would have drawn on other potential. Part of the task in our journey through life is to discover the potential we have been given and to put it to use for good. Last week we had a Service Fair in the Fellowship Hall, and it will be repeated next Sunday. One of the primary purposes of the Service Fair is to help people be aware of opportunities to discover their potential. One of the ways we discover our potential is by participating in classes. But it can also happen, in a kind of on the job experience of becoming involved in some sort of special ministry sponsored by this church. Please look at the commitment insert. You will notice there are three types of commitments. One is the commitment to prepare ourselves to serve by learning more about ourselves and more about the Gospel. One is the commitment to serve within this congregation enabling this congregation to provide opportunities for persons to deepen their faith and grow in grace. One is the commitment to serve beyond this congregation, either through ministry opportunities this congregation provides or through the opportunities for ministry that are all around us. In the passage we read, when Peter was confronted by a need, he did what he was able to do. And when we are aware of a need, this is all God expects of us -- that we do what we are able to do. God, help us grow in grace so that like Peter, when we are confronted by need, we will do what we are able to do. Amen. Pastoral prayer: Let us thank God for our blessings. God, on this special day our nation has set aside to honor mothers, we give you thanks for those who have given us life, and we also give you thanks for all those who with motherly love have nourished and nurtured us in order to bring out the best in us. For all the good and positive gifts we have received from all those who have mothered us, we give you thanks. God, we thank you for your love, which in so many ways is like the love of a mother. Help us respond to your love by sharing that love with others. Help us discern what we are able to do and make us sensitive to the opportunities all around us to invest ourselves in serving others as Christ has served us. Give us the desire and the will to do this. Make us aware of the ways we can love our neighbors as ourselves, the ways we can love others as you in Christ have loved us. Show us how to live the life Jesus was teaching us to live when he taught us to pray: "Our Father ...." .
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