Skip to main content

The Celtics And A Variety of Gifts

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord;
and there are varieties of activities,
but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.

I am a Celtics fan.

That's probably the result of having three parishes in Vermont.

One of my prayers is attending a Celtics game in Boston with a picture taken alongside a starting player. 

I'm not well informed about plays and rules, but I've learned some players are more gifted in one position than another.

I also realize the coach takes advantage of those gifts and utilizes a player in a position as needed.

With a variety of gifts, some players are rotated off the court while others are rotated on.

When playing together as a team and utilized well by the coach, the game goes well.

When they don't, it doesn't 

Gifts of the Spirit are like this. 

In the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul faced an issue about gifts of the Spirit. 

Apparently, the house churches had plenty of people imagining the gift brought was more to the life of their church.

This resulted in debates about whose gift was best. 

Paul addresses this debate explaining the Spirit that unifies the church.

Because the Spirit activates each persons' gifts, Paul says, no gift is better gift than another's. 

It's the Spirit, Paul says, that determines each gifts value.

The importance is recognizing the gift and knowing how to use it.

Since all gifts are given by the Spirit, and there are many different gifts, unique, personal gifts matter. 

For example, if you have the gift of wisdom, recognize it in you and learn how to use it.

What the Corinthian church needed to do, Paul says, is concentrate on how to use each gift to build and unite the Body of Christ.

It seems to me that, in the times in which we live, discovering and using our gifts to build up the Body of Christ, is of utmost importance!!!

Think about it: What spiritual gifts have you encountered? Does this list in 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 include them all?

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ruler of All Earthly Kings

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (from Rev. 1:4-8 ) About 17 years ago I wrote a letter to the people in the United Church of Underhill. The purpose of the letter was to explain I was retiring at the end of the Conference Year. I felt the time had come for me personally to move on and for the church to grow with a new pastor. I secured a moving company while the church formed a search committee as we both prepared for the inevitable. This is the nature of the book of Revelation, as recorded in 1:4: “John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia.” This is Revelation’s context: it was written for the benefit of particular people at a particular time for their particular situation. John’s letter narrates a drama about God’s imminent invasion of the “kingdom of this world” ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grantchester's Warning

"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, the owner would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (from Luke 12:32-40 ) I regularly watch Grantchester; a murder mystery set in 1950s England. The main characters are a local detective and an Anglican priest who, as a team, solve mysteries set in the town. Two aspects of Grantchester impress me. First, the simplicity of the 1950’s police communications done by a landline phone and not cell phone. Second, the simplicity of daily life with little television and fewer possessions allowing the characters to focus on their vocation of detective and priest. This simplicity is more than a nostalgic return to the “good old days”. Instead, it’s a Shaker type of simplicity where austerity allows freedom from distractions to focus on worship and community. Today’s distraction-filled world has seemingly countless activ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jesus, Deliverance, and Demons

"Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind." (from Luke 8:26-39 ) Astrid is a streaming program I often watch. The plot is a basic cops and robbers action until the criminal is caught. The uniqueness of the program is Astrid, who is on the Autism spectrum, is brilliant at solving puzzles including connecting clues to solve the crime. Watching this program has given me a more profound insight to people living with this condition and their acceptance in society. My first-hand experience with children on the Spectrum was driving a Special Needs school bus for 6 years. With this experience, I can imagine the life the possessed man was experiencing, especially living among the tombs, bound with chains and shackles, having to live in the wilds. It was no wonder he cried for mercy. Jesus, with his power and mercy, cast the demons out and even...
Post a Comment
Read more