Blending and Bringing Together

 

Yesterday, I asked you to ponder the list of spiritual gifts Paul names for the church in Corinth, chapter 12.  I encourage you to think of definitions and descriptions for the nine gifts named: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, powerful deeds, prophecies, discernment, tongues, and interpretation.  I invite you to add to this list with other gifts you see in yourself and others that contribute to the common good.  Part of what Paul is saying is that your gift is not just for your own benefit and accumulation.  You share and shine your light with/for the sake of others.  You share and shine your light in ways that combine with others who are doing the same.  As the Spirit blends and brings all our unique giftedness together, there is a brighter light of God’s love that shines forth.  Can you recall a time when you worked with others on a project that was a blessing?  I know our minds sometimes get stuck in high school with a project where you ended up doing 99.999% of the work, and everyone benefited from the A.  But that isn’t what Paul is saying.  He is pointing to a moment when each of us does what he/she/they can with God’s grace, and our gifts become greater than the sum of the parts.  Rather than keeping each gift isolated or apart, we bring them together in beautiful/life-giving ways.  In the mystery and marvel of the Spirit, when I bring my gifts, and you do the same, we find a new dimension that wouldn’t have been possible alone.   For example, when I share a piece of knowledge and then stop speaking to listen to others, I find that I learn from another person’s wisdom, experience, and faith.  My knowledge needs the gift of the other to properly function and continually grow.  Too often, we can be tripped up and trapped by the idea that it is only about our gift, and we want to be recognized.  But when my gift meets your gift with openness, willingness, and curiosity, God works in ways we never imagined or could have experienced on our own.  I invite you to think of a moment when this has been true for you.  How might our church continue to be a place where such creative collaboration is part of what we are about as we seek to cooperate with God in these days?