The Gifts of God for The People of God
The Gifts of God for The People of God |
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An On-Line Process For Spiritual Gift Identificationfor Members and Friends of Providence United Methodist Church Charlotte , North Carolina
Ken Carter
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God— what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12. 1-2 (NRSV)
When you claim your strengths, you claim God’s gifts. Whatever strengths and competencies you have, you have Because God has been and is now, this very moment, Stirring in your life. God’s compassion and spirit are Extraordinarily present in your life. Your strengths Are gifts from God. God invites us to claim our strengths.
Kennon Callahan, Twelve Keys for Living
A Process For Spiritual Gift Identification
What is my spiritual gift? You may be asking yourself that question. Or perhaps you have a hunch, a clue, a sense of where your gifts lie. Perhaps this has come by trial and error. Rick Warren of the Saddleback Valley Community Church argues that we can only know our gifts as we use them in mission. Perhaps others have identified your gifts through words of affirmation and gratitude. What follows is a on-line process for the identification of spiritual gifts? It is a discernment process shaped by the work of Danny Morris, formerly of the Upper Room in Nashville, and Chuck Olsen, who leads Worshipful-Work in Kansas City. Together they have blessed the church with wise and helpful reflection on the process of corporate discernment. Their work, I suggest, can also help us to identify our spiritual gifts within the body of Christ, the church. You Will Need Help, But You Can Do ItAs you move through this process, you will at times need the guidance of the Christian community. Perhaps a trusted colleague, or a friend, or a co-worker will join you in the exploration of your gift or gifts. At other times you will need to do the work alone. The process will not be one that can be completed in an hour or a day or a few days. You will need time to enter silence, to explore options, to rest with decisions. Take your time. Be patient.
You Have Already Received A Gift!
No, not that kind of gift. A spiritual gift. A gift from God. There are three core convictions about spiritual gifts.
It was you who created my inmost self, and put me together in my mother’s womb; for all these mysteries I thank you: for the wonder of myself, for the wonder of your works.
Psalm 139. 13-14 ( Jerusalem Bible)
The best way to get started is by reading the Bible. Three New Testament passages are most helpful in learning about spiritual gifts. They are I Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4; and Romans 12. In the Old Testament, you might also read Psalm 8 and Psalm 139. Take the time to read each of these passages.
Gifts, Service, Energy
1 Corinthians 12 serves as the beginning of a portion of scripture that concludes at the end of chapter 14, and includes the chapter on love (13). When Paul notes that he does not want the reader to be “uninformed”, he is stressing that the primary sign of the holy spirit is love, not glossalia, or speaking in unknown tongues. Paul then reminds the reader that not all inspired speech is from God (12.2). Those who persecuted Christians forced them say Jesus was anathema (cursed), often as an entry into a sect. “Jesus is Lord” (12.3) is the most basic Christian creed. Note the important connection between Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us to do those things that Jesus did. In 12. 4-6 there is a Trinitarian structure: Spirit-Lord-God. The unity of the spirit is expressed in the diversity of gifts (charismata), services (diakonia), and activities (energmata). Our gifts are offered in service. When we serve in the area of our gift,we are given a profound energy!
A First Listing of Gifts
The gifts of God are given for the common good (verse 7), and nine manifestations are listed in verses 8-10. The gifts are:
Each gift has its origin in the one Spirit (verse 11); thus there is unity within diversity. There is a variety of gifts, Paul reminds us.
We Are Connected
Paul next begins a discussion of gifts through the image of the body of Christ, in verses 12-26. This image had appeared earlier in the letter:
“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” 1 Corinthians 6.15 “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body”1 Corinthians 10.17 “All who eat and drink without discerning the bodyeat and drink judgment against themselves.” 1 Corinthians 11. 29
These scriptures refer to the interdependence of members within the body of Christ,the church, and serve as a corrective to the privatization of our spiritualities and our temptation to withdraw from community. Because we have been baptized, the distinctions within the church disappear (1 Corinthians 12. 13), and so we drink of the one Spirit, the invitation of Jesus to all who are thirsty (John 7. 37-39).
Another Listing of Gifts
Paul insists, in verses 14-22, that all parts of the body are important and necessary; in fact, the weaker parts of the body are indispensable! (12. 22). Paul is appealing for unity, that there be no dissension in the body. This requires an understanding of the interdependence of members of the church, in suffering and rejoicing (12. 26). There follows a listing, in verse 28, of eight spiritual gifts, which do not correspond to the list of nine earlier:
And in verses 29-30, there is a third listing of gifts, again slightly different. The chapter ends with an affirmation that the greatest spiritual gift is love. This chapter, so often read in celebrations of marriage, is best understood in its context. The spiritual gifts, taken to their extreme and expressed in their most dynamic form, are no match for the gift of love, which “builds up” (I Corinthians 8. 1).
Ten Steps
There are ten steps. You might use a journal or a legal-size notebook to record your responses. No one else can really do the work of spiritual gift identification for you. Your own grasp of where you are gifted, why, and for what purpose is of utmost importance.
Framing
In framing the discussion of spiritual gifts we move from the topic in general to asking the question, “Is this my spiritual gift, yes or no?” A word about how critically important this is: while it might seem like a luxury to spend time in reflecting on whether or not we have a particular spiritual gift, the opposite is actually the case. It is crucial that we identify our gifts as pastors, as leaders, and as members of the church. So much of our time is spent in particular ministries: preaching, teaching, visiting, administering, praying, evangelizing. Sometimes we take on a role in the church…
We have to begin somewhere. Choose a spiritual gift, one that seems to be within the sphere of your interest, passion, or competence. You will know this from prior experience and from feedback you
have received from others. Choose one spiritual gift, and begin by framing the question:
God, is my spiritual gift in the area of _______________, yes or no?
You are seeking to discover your priority in life. And as you enter into this exercise you do so in the spirit of the Lord’s Prayer: Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. You are seeking to know God’s will for your life. You are attempting to discover the mind of Christ. And you are becoming attuned the Spirit’s yearning for church and her mission.
Grounding
In grounding we continue to explore our gifts by naming our assumptions and stating our guiding principles. It is helpful to speak aloud or to write down matters that are essential to us, or to a congregation, but may go unspoken. For example, the process of spiritual gift identification is more grounded as you focus on issues like:
The greatest need of our community right now is _______________. If the pastor were to do one thing well, it would have to be _______________. People come closer to God’s will for their lives as they _______________.
You will discover the importance of grounding as you consider your own assumptions about the faith. For example, those with the gift of preaching assume that individuals are transformed by hearing the message. Those with the gift of teaching give priority to our understanding of the faith and to the explanatory power of the scriptures. Those with the gift of hospitality are convinced that individuals must be welcomed into community as an integral aspect of the encounter with God. Those with the gift of evangelism focus on God’s gift unmerited grace and the necessity of our human response. Those with the gift of administration see chaos and disorder as harmful to the ongoing work of the kingdom. Each spiritual gift can be connected to an assumption that we have about human nature and the purpose of the church. As you identify a spiritual gift, attempt to spell out the assumptions that are implied in your concept of it. Grounding will also help you to remain specific, to articulate the boundaries of your gift’s expression. What is the purpose of this gift, and what is outside its purpose? Authentic grounding about spiritual gifts includes corporate prayer, and can best be pursued in an environment of safety, support and sometimes even confidentiality.
Shedding
In shedding we come to grips with the reality of our sin, our distorted vision and our will to power. Shedding is “naming and laying aside anything that will deter the person or group from focusing on God’s will” is relation to the spiritual group under discussion. It is the process of relinquishment, or letting go, or indifference, which is not apathy but consent to God’s will and purpose. This is difficult work, for the individual and for the community, and it helps to say a brief word about the nature of God. We believe that God is One who creates us in his image (Genesis 1. 26), and calls us to share ourselves and our gifts with others. Since God has created us, God will know best what our gifts might be and how they might be employed. Our difficulty arises when we become egocentric---we assume that we ourselves know what is best for us, for our churches, for our ministries. And at just this point we can “get in the way” of God’s creative work in us. Shedding drives us back to a dependence on God and a reliance on God’s will. The question is,
I have I discovered a particular gift of God in my own life, would I be willing to develop and share that gift, even if doing so seems unnatural or difficult?
Olsen and Morris ask the right question: “Are we willing to let something die to give God room to start something new? What will we lay aside or leave behind so that we will be open to new gifts of grace or new expressions of ministry?”
Rooting
In rooting we seek to unearth biblical passages that relate to our spiritual gifts. For many this comes easily: we felt a call to ministry because someone connected a passage of scripture with a compelling invitation to serve in some way, perhaps as an evangelist, or as a teacher, or as a preacher, or as a counselor.
The process of identifying our spiritual gifts deepens as we focus on a biblical image, verse or theme.
Reflect on a spiritual gift that seems to be coming into focus for you. Can you think of a biblical image, a text, a theme from scripture that provides a foundation for that gift? For me, an important image is of Jesus teaching in John 15. 5: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me, and I in them bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing”.
This verse and those that surround it have been significant to me in framing my ministry: it is important that we are connected to God, it is also that we are connected to one another. I have tried to keep this biblical image at the center of my mind and spirit, especially in pastoral relationships, in preaching and in teaching.
Listening
In listening we enter into the practice of Psalm 46. 10:
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Listening as a tool for spiritual gift identification will take place in some setting of silence. As we become better listeners to God, in the silence, we also become more attuned to what others are saying to us. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer has noted:
“Many people are looking for a listening ear, [but] they do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking when they should be listening. He who can no longer listen to his brother will soon no longer be listening to God either..This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life…Anyone who thinks that his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will eventually have no time for God or his brother, but only for himself and his own follies.”
Many individuals encounter the call of God, and experience the discovery of their gifts in silence. In the busyness of our usual routines and activities, we are sometimes successful in crowding out the voice of God. If we can listen deeply and attentively, we will hear a word about God and about ourselves.
Practically, listening might occur in one of the following ways:
Exploring
In exploring we depend upon the scriptures to guide us in our journey, reminded of the Psalm:
Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119. 105
Here we consider other calls; we name other gifts; we consider other possibilities. We depend upon the illumination of the Holy Spirit to guide us into the truth (John 16. 13). We share our discernments about gifts, rooted in scripture and reflected upon in the silence, with a trusted friend or two. We listen with openness to their questions, and we consider suggestions as other options to be taken seriously.
Improving and Weighing
The identification of our spiritual gift is improved and weighed as we continue a rigorous self-examination. We reflect on our comfort level with the process thus far. We evaluate how seriously we have taken the disciplines of scripture study and solitude. We listen again for the voice of God and to the words of trusted friends. We acknowledge our own capacity for self-deception. At this point we practice the scriptural admonition:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, to see whether they are from God. 1 John 4. 1 (NRSV)
Danny Morris and Chuck Olsen list several practices that can be adapted here. A helpful discernment practice might be to take the questions from the Spiritual Exercises from Ignatius, as appropriated by the Jesuits:
The Holy Spirit, according to the Jesuit tradition, is always on the side of consolation. When God places a gift within us, there is rejoicing when that gift is discovered and released. This spiritual practice requires time for a sense of feeling to settle over a person, and also comes when an individual claims the gift, and begins to move forward, at least mentally, in the direction of that gift and away from others. At this stage, it might be helpful for the individual to seek a relationship with a pastor, a spiritual director, a mentor, or a trusted friend and colleague. Here we are becoming honest with ourselves about who we are and how we are gifted, and we are also seeking accountability with someone who will help us to move toward the exercise of our gift.
Closing and Resting
In closing we make a decision: “This is my gift!” It might he an “aha” moment, filled with surprise. It might also be a confirmation of what we have always sensed. The word closing is implies that a door closes, what Parker Palmer writes about when he speaks of “no way”, and at the same time a door opens. At that moment we say, with the prophet Isaiah, Here am I, LordIsaiah 6
Our response to the grace of clarity about gift is to surrender, and in that surrender we sense a trust and a peace that comes from God’s presence. It is almost as if we have come home, to our true selves, when we claim the gifts that are our birthrights as Christians. And this is no less true for pastors as it is for the laity.
The Importance of the Process
The process of spiritual gift identification is important for several reasons. First, it will help any Christian to know who she is, more fully, in the context of God’s mission. Second, it will also help the Christian to know how he fits into the body of Christ that is the local congregation. Third, it will help the anyone who takes this process seriously to uncover how she is positively motivated to serve (when her gift is exercised) and how she might also be “burning out” (when her gift is neglected). And finally, in working this process mature Christians will model for others the importance of identifying their spiritual gifts.
And so I invite you to listen for God’s call, to identify your gift, and then to seek the guidance of God and others in finding a place of service and mission.
God bless you. God be with you!
Primary Sources: I Corinthians 12-14; Romans 12; Ephesians 4.
Secondary Sources: Discerning God’s Will Together (Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1997), pages 75, 78-79. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, pages 97-98 (New York: Harper and Row, 1954, pages 97-98). Ken Carter, The Gifted Pastor (Nashville: Abingdon, 1999).
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