The other passage is not so much poetry as it is direct communication. Paul was not one to wax poetic, especially with the Corinthians. Today he offers the clear reminder that we share in common the gift of the Holy Spirit. But the gifts of the Holy Spirit take different shape in each of us. Every one of us can find a way to serve God in this place and beyond this place.
Every gift is needed and every gift is valued.
Our new Elders will discover their spiritual gifts over the next three years. At our house over the past month, Katherine has taken to giving us gifts. She will wrap something up in a dishtowel or her blanket or an empty box and then present it with great flourish and real joy. Instead of giving us what we always wanted, Katherine gives us something we already had. Any object lying around a book or a Gameboy Color or a brush or a Barbie becomes a gift.