I’m back!! After about two weeks of the craziness that comes with moving into a new house (and end-of-school activities and vacation Bible school) along with not being able to connect my computer to the internet for most of that time, I am back.
Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-16
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
Observation: As I’ve said elsewhere on this blog, the authorship of and audience for this letter is debated. Scholars are about 50/50 with whether it was written by Paul or not. However, the most interesting aspect is the intended audience. Even though the author mentions “Ephesus” in the first verse, this letter is the most formal in tone of Paul’s letters. Given the fact that Paul spent 2yrs in Ephesus, he would not have been so formal. Also, there are no other references to Ephesus in the letter. This leads scholars to believe that if it was written by Paul, it was intended as a “circular” letter to be sent to many churches (and they would simply change the church’s name in the first verse).
I bring this up because the circular character affects our interpretation of our reading today. If it was a generic letter, then this is the only time Paul writes about spiritual gifts as they would relate to every community.
Application: Paul’s understanding of the community is that it is structured according to Spiritual gifts. People don’t have defined “roles” per se (Clergy and laity), but everyone is empowered by the Spirit with specific gifts/talents for the betterment of the church and the mission of God. For example, when you read “pastor” don’t think of a position as much as the attributes of caring and nurturing within a community. Therefore, for the community to be the fullest expression of the kingdom of God to come, and for “all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” we need to discover our gifts and empower people to live into them.
I would love for each of you to go to this website and take the inventory. Let me know your results. (If you live close, maybe we could go out for coffee to discuss them.) It is good to pay attention to your top one and the percentages of them all. (You can read their description of each gift, but I would be willing to clarify their definitions for you…I differ a bit on the understanding of Prophet). Every time I’ve taken the survey I have been a teacher and then an apostle.
Now, people don’t just have one spiritual gift. They have a little bit of all 5. However, there is usually one that is dominant. Think of things that just come naturally for you; they energize you and you’d spend all day doing them if you could. (Anyone who’s had a conversation with me isn’t surprised that I’m a teacher.) Also, understand that no spiritual gift is greater than the others. The community needs all of them. As Paul says they are given for the building up of the community so that all may come to maturity and to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
What if we had a community where everyone knew how God had wired them for ministry? What if we had a community that was structured around those gifts? Where people were empowered to be who they were created to be? Instead of trying to plug people into roles, we directed people in how to live into and develop the gifts they already possess?
Prayer: Gracious God, through your Spirit you have called us together in one body. You have gifted each of us for the work of your great commission to make disciples of all nations who love you and our neighbor more fully. Help us to rejoice in your Spirit, and to empower all to live into the gifts you have given them for the building up of the church. In your son’s name we pray. Amen
Faith Camino 