Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 21, 2007


What do you do best? Not comparatively to someone else – but among your own talents and skills – what do you do best?

It may surprise you to learn that the Gallop organization – the people who do Gallup polls on about every subject imaginable – have a whole wing that is devoted to faith and spiritual development. One of the polls that they took in regards to religion, to which people would respond either agree or disagree came up with a surprising result for them. The statement said: “I regularly do what I do best in my local parish or community.” I regularly do what I do best in my parish or community. Less than half of the people polled agreed with this statement. St. Paul would be very frustrated.

In this section from Corinthians, Paul is reflecting on the image of the body to unpack the mystery of the church, which is the body of Christ. To use the images from the Gallop organization – each of us has been given talents and skills and things that we do best. It differs from person to person, but each of those gifts matter, Paul tells us, and each of those gifts go into the building up of the church. And it is our task to uncover what God has put into our hearts to do. That’s what it means to be church, and to be the body of Christ.

I regularly do what I do best in my parish or community. That question has haunted me since I heard it, albeit in a good way. How do I empower people to get to that point at St. Ann’s/the Newman Center? Because that is one of the things I do best – help people to develop as human beings, and provide a positive energy about life in general. As you know, some students and I are working through the process that Gallup developed in response to this question – the Living Your Strengths Journey. The first step was to uncover the gifts. (And they have developed a whole money making book and process to do just that. It is what THEY do best…) The second step is to observe the times you are using that gift, so you become aware of it in your life. The third is to be very intentional about using those gifts. (That’s as far as we have gotten in the process.)

Here is what I notice happening in me when I do what I do best. There is an energy about my days and moments when I am doing what I do best. The skill that I am using makes me alive and invested and engaged. I can’t wait some days, when I know I have an appointment which will use some of my skills. I am excited to know that God can and will use me this day to make a difference in his world. I know that I will be the eyes and ears and heart of God in those moments.

In that synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus had the chance to do the same sort of thing. Coming back to his home, this local boy done good was the toast of the town. Going to the synagogue as he was in the habit of doing (hint, hint) he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He FINDS the passage – not biblical roulette here – where it was written. And what do you hear but Jesus saying: “Folks, here is what I do best – this is where I find God. Here is where my mission is - liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, setting free the oppressed – announcing a year of favor from the Lord. That is who I am. Those are the gifts God has placed in my heart to share with the world. And as you read the rest of Luke, you know that Jesus indeed spent the rest of his life doing just that – the things that he did best.

Over these next few weeks, as we continue to listen to Paul’s message about the Body, the Church, I invite you to pray into the Gallop poll question: “Are you regularly doing what you do best here at the Newman Center?” Ask God for the wisdom to know what that is. And then approach me, approach Tracy or Dan or Julie and say: I have this idea… And we will do our best to help you do what you do best for the building up of the body of Christ…