Seventh Day of Christmas

“On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…seven swans a swimming.”

Scripture

Psalm 133; Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31

For reflection

We are half way on our spiritual journey to Epiphany.  We have received six precious gifts thus far: 1) Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh, God Incarnate.  2) The Old and New Testaments.  3) Faith, hope and love.  4) The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  5) The Pentateuch or Torah.  6) The days of creation.  What are we doing with these invaluable gifts?  Or, what are these gifts doing in us?  These are not the kind of gifts that lose their luster or wear out.  We may lose interest in them, but they never lose interest in us.  These Christmastide gifts are ones that keep on giving, ever beckoning, ever inviting us to receive them afresh and to be transformed.

Go ahead, open the seventh gift.  What is it?  Oh, it is a gift!  What is inside that gift?  Oh, another gift!  And what is inside THAT gift?  Hey, another gift!  And another.  And another.  And another.  And still another.  You get the feeling that you could keep opening boxes inside of boxes, gift upon gift.  Such is the multiplicity and diversity of spiritual gifts given by God.

The specific gifts recalled on the seventh day of Christmas since the sixteenth century are those listed in Romans 12: Prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, compassion.  Many more could be named.  But whatever the gift, it is vital to know this: spiritual gifts are given for the sake of empowering people of faith to join God in sharing Good News, bearing grace, and making real the anticipated Reign of God.

The spiritual gifts described in Romans 12, as well as in 1 Corinthians 12 and elsewhere throughout the Epistles, are essential gifts for forming, sustaining, and extending community.  Spiritual gifts are about community.  Not about personal advancement.  Not about possessing.  A spiritual gift is not a spiritual gift unless it is selflessly shared.  A community will be a thriving and vital community when graciously given gifts are freely and strategically shared.  What better follow-up to Christmas than for gifts, great and small, to be turned toward serving and building up the community?

It has become an inadvertent tradition in our household to keep a few opened gifts on the skirt around our Christmas tree for days after the 25th.  Big gifts get whisked away, played with, put on, plugged in.  But to this day a few small ones remain under the tree: a box of fireplace matches, a bottle of cologne, a bag of potpourri, a couple of games, a basket of crafts, a book, a flashlight, a quote a day calendar of the 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said.  Not the most expensive or desirable gifts, but useful ones just the same.  They remind me of the diversity and usefulness of spiritual gifts, particularly less desirable ones.

Like the faith, hope, and love received on the third day of Christmas, the gifts we receive today are spiritually perceived, inwardly apprehended, and entirely relational.  Perhaps we will never know our gifts, or what impact on a relationship, neighborhood, church, or community we can have until we start to serve, to give, to lead, to show mercy, to teach, to encourage, to declare what is burning in our hearts.  Why not start today?

Journaling/prayer possibilities

Have you observed or explored spiritual gifts?  If so or if not, reflect on the seven gifts listed today.  To what extent do you have opportunity to express, explore, or develop these or others?  Thinking of the upcoming New Year, build one or more gifts that you believe you have been given into your priorities and plans.  Be intentional about expressing gifts or they will be useless to you and others.  Offer thanks for whatever gifts you have or that you see in others.

Song

Because I Have Been Given Much by Grace Noll Crowell

Because I have been given much,

I too must give.

Because of Thy great bounty, Lord,

Each day I live.

I shall divide my gifts from Thee

With every brother that I see

Who has the need of help from me.

Because I have been sheltered, fed,

By Thy good care,

I cannot see another’s lack

And I not share

My glowing fire, my loaf of bread,

My roof’ safe shelter overhead,

That he too may be comforted.

Because love has been lavished so

Upon me, Lord,

A wealth I know that was not meant

For me to hoard,

I shall give love to those in need,

Shall show that love by word and deed:

Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.

Benediction

And now may the Spirit which was in Jesus Christ be in me, enabling me to know God’s gifts and empowering me to share them freely.  Amen.