Spiritual Gifts: The Body's Love Language
Teachers: Jared & Dianna
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12 & 13
Let's recap some of our previous thoughts on spiritual gifts...
We all have them. We have responsibility to know them and use them. They are not optional. Essentially, spiritual gifts are given to individuals, but they are not for individuals: they are for community.
Why should we use our spiritual gifts?
They are extraordinary power. They convince unbelievers. Grace is for the salvation of those who have it, while gifts are for the salvation of others.
So, no one has spiritual gifts merely for him or herself. They are given “for the body.”
We are responsible to use spiritual gifts to influence the people we come in contact with. Furthermore, you are needed because no one will have the same combination of spiritual gifts expressed in exactly the same way. What if your arm had the potential to function perfectly well, but it chose not to? That would be rather inhibiting. You might say that arm was kind of a jerk...
And then Paul brings it all home…
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1 Corinthians 13: 1-3
It is no coincidence that Paul leads directly into the topic of love.
**Please note the context of this scripture: Paul is NOT writing about marriage, he is writing to the Church of Corinth (a.k.a. you and I in The Church)**
What does this look like?
What is love in the context of the church? Since we are a body (a good looking one, at that) we are connected and interdependent.
At this point in the evening we moved into an expression of love within the body by communicating individually to one another “I know that I love you because…”
This activity helped us look less like this...
...and more like this...
So now what?
Let's try an experiment here: what if we loosen the definition of church? Church involves a gathering of people. OK. Now, part of church involves me using my spiritual gifts for the kingdom by influencing those around me. OK. Now, let's just say if Christ is my focus we'll call that a church. Therefore, Sunday AM or Convergence is one form of church, one expression of the body.
So, perhaps Convergence is only one of your churches...
Remember? Secular dualism is a myth: there is no difference between secular and sacred space because God is EVERYWHERE. Welcome to the Kingdom of God -- the territory is endless and you can serve him wherever you are. [Good thing your spiritual gifts don’t get turned on and off!]
Jesus didn’t ask you to only serve those who speak your language or have membership in your church. We are called to be disciples. That is, a disciple is who you are, not something you do. Therefore, engage here in your gifts here, but also be kingdom-minded in every space you are.
A lot of money and resources are tied up in spaces where people can talk about God thanks to the modern-concept of “church”…but imagine with us for a moment the endless pre-existing spaces where we can have “church.”
Then we can begin to think of the church more like this: interconnected spheres-of-influence rather than time or place…
posted by Jamie at
4:42 PM
5 Comments:
My entire post just got erased cause I hit a wrong button… I’ll try to summarize.
I thought this was a really cool exercise. It made me think about the role I play in my other “churches”; is it the same all the time? I think it probably changes depending on where I am.
Last night I was thinking something else: although it sounds simplistic, I’m in ministry all the time. I’ve spent a lot of time and energy trying to pick a career based on my desire to be involved in ministry. However, with our newly defined (or, lack of) boundaries of the Kingdom, my role never ends. Therefore, theoretically, I’m free to pick a career that’s not pastoring or missionary work, because my responsibility stays the same: use my spiritual gifts to benefit others.
That’s the Cole’s Notes.
Jared
By
Jared, at 2:51 PM
My comment was deleted too! Grrr.
Jared – thanks for teaching on this subject. It was excellent.
As I was typing up the material, I was reminded of some people’s comments during the session on purposeful community, “Convergence is where I come to get fed. I don’t minister in this space, I minister in other spaces.”
But…according to this model, there is no “where” in spiritual giftedness, ministry, and the body. Our spiritual gifts seem like they are associated with our character, linked to the core of our being, and essential to our soul: the part of our “self” that bumps up against other people. So, maybe we can’t (or shouldn’t) define ministry or un-ministry spaces.
By
Jamie, at 6:20 PM
Totally. I guess that’s the challenge, though. I don’t think I fully grasp yet what that means, being prepared to use my gifts at all times. I’ve (we’ve) been taught for so long that “ministry” can be pinned down to an action or motivation that only applies in certain settings, to certain people. I guess our discussion shows the true nature of “calling”, though. It’s not a one-time call to a single task. Just as salvation is an ongoing experience, so is calling. True expressions of Christ’s love pervade our entire life and being so that we are constantly in a posture to bear fruit.
Jared
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Jared, at 8:32 PM
It's important to remember that when Jesus "called" his disciples, he didn't join them in their lives. He didn't climb into Peter's boat or Levi's tax collection booth. When they were called to be his disciples, Jesus didn't become a part of their lives, they became a part of his. In this, Jesus taught them (and us) that discipleship (calling) is holistic, it's pervasive. Anyone who calls themselves a believer cannot have a space outside of their calling (or a calling outside of "thier space"). Whether a plumber, a painter, or candle-stick maker, believers participate in the life of Christ in totality. Every space, every room, every act, every thought, all is done in the presence of Jesus, whether we like it or not, are obedient or not, every bit of our lives is a part of His own.
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Anonymous, at 11:06 AM
still to this day i wonder what my spritual gifts are... people say im a great encourager and a good listener.. i know i am but man are those spritual gifts?? why do people always pic me to poor there heart out to?? its really wierd im just little old me(i say old cause i feel old im almost 28!!! oh man can you belive its been almost 9 years since i gave my heart to jesus wow!!! may 8th!'98 wow!! and what the heck have i show him... in return for him dieing on the cross? do you ever think how much time we waste on stupid things that Jesus is just like what the heck are you doing that for??? but that why he die for us so we'd all be forgive us of are Stupid(sinful) ways ) back to my point sorry i think i got A.D.D or something lose focus to much! man i so hate when that happens! is the encouraging others and good listener..spiritual gifts and just gifts( or me just being nose butting in on people lives haha) what the diff between spritual gifts and regular gifts?? is there one?
Niko fetatanko
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mrfetatanko, at 5:23 AM
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