Gifts for the work of ministry

From today's reading:  The gifts he gave were . . . . to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith. . . .  Ephesians 4:11-13

The lessons I used today were from those appointed for the remembrance of St. Simon and St. Jude.  Where the dots are I have left out a list of gifts that I think can probably sidetrack us.  If we get too hung up on the "special gifts," we forget that all gifts are given for ministry - even gifts of cooking and cleaning and serving at table can be gifts for the spread of the faith.  

One of my young friends who came through campus ministry at SHSU came from a family that were mostly C & E'rs - you know, attending only at Christmas and Easter.  But they attended the Episcopal church, so when her dad died during her high school years, she was not grounded in a Christian community.  

What made an impression on her was that someone from the church that she didn't even know, came to her house to help out and cleaned their toilet.  Just think of the gift - to go to a house where someone has died and to clean their toilet - and to make a lasting impression on a 17 year old girl.  That simple act made a difference in the life of that young girl.

What are the gifts that God has given us?  You don't have to be a preacher or teacher or spiritual giant to make a difference in someone's life.  The greatest gift is love.  It is love that allows someone to go into a stranger's home and to perform the simplist of acts that can bring another to faith.