June 2026

Pastor Message: 

Spiritual Gifts We Did Not Know We Had 

A couple of weeks ago, the WARM chime bell choir brought together Parfreyville UMC and Crystal Lake UMC for combined worship. I had imagined it would be a relatively simple Sunday with one shared service.

During worship, however, Paul Sumnicht from Parfreyville suddenly passed out. At first, I did not fully understand what was happening. It was a humbling moment: there your pastor was, praying a prayer of healing while, behind me, someone lay unconscious. Lord, in your mercy…

I went to him, but honestly, I did not know what to do. I tried to hold his head, only to realize I might actually have been making things worse. In that moment, I became deeply aware of my own limitations.

All I could do was call upon the congregation to pray urgently to God.

And then I witnessed the beauty of the church unfold before my eyes.

Chuck Whitman from Crystal Lake Church, who happened to be worshiping with us that day and had served in the fire department for many years, immediately stepped forward and used the gifts and training he had developed throughout his life. Others quickly gathered around to help as well. Soon, Paul regained consciousness and was okay. He was even able to walk out with the paramedics. I trust that Paul, being a retired medical doctor himself, will continue to take good care of his health.

Later, I found myself reflecting even more deeply on the beauty of the church. Jeanne Bootz contacted First Church to explain the emergency and the possible delay of the second service, and Jake Paulson left me a message telling me not to rush. I am grateful for the prayerful patience of Crystal Lake and Parfreyville Churches during that moment, and for First Church’s thoughtful decision to intentionally delay worship. When I finally arrived, I saw Sue Abrahamson faithfully leading the children’s message. Praise God for such grace, trust, and shared leadership.

The church is filled with spiritual gifts we may not even realize we carry until the moment they are needed. Every person brings something holy into the life of the community.

Some wash. Some teach. Some organize. Some repair things. Some speak. Some listen. Some laugh. Some sew. Some garden. Some decorate. Some build. Some cook. Some eat. Some sing. Some play. Some bike. Some visit. Some call. Some serve on committees. Others work with numbers, technology, plumbing, caregiving, or administration.

I cannot possibly name every gift. Yet through these shared gifts, we begin to witness the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

That is the beauty of the body of Christ: no single person possesses every gift.

The Holy Spirit gathers ordinary and diverse people together and forms us into the body of Christ. Through our hands and feet, God continues to bring healing, beauty, and grace into the world.

Together, through the gifts we did not even know we had, we become Christ’s body for one another.

Rev. Hyunwoong Hwang