What Gift Can I Bring?

The Gifts Quarter isn’t just about money. It’s about learning to give and receive all of God’s gifts. Dan Dick of the United Methodist Church General Board of Discipleship tells this story online.

I once purchased a beautiful candle holder for a friend. That friend gushed gratitude for the gift. Months later, while visiting my friend, I saw the candle holder tossed into a carton for Goodwill. I still remember how I felt–- a sense of loss and hurt– a rejection of a gift of the heart.

How does God feel about the way we treat the gifts we are given? Not material gifts, or the gifts of our bodies and minds, but our spiritual gifts?

Mr. Dick goes on to say that everyone is specially gifted by God. The question is never, "Am I gifted?" Rather, the question should be, "What are my gifts?" FUMC has a no-fault method of finding out. Pick something that interests you and try it out. If your passion isn’t on any of the lists, talk to one of the team leaders. Maybe your calling is to start something new. Our Knit Wits, the prayer shawl ministry, was started by a new member who had enjoyed this ministry at another congregation and brought it to us.

The church doesn’t define our gifts; rather, the church is defined by the gifts. Congregations are as uniquely gifted as individuals. FUMC doesn't define its work then "plug people in" to positions or offices. Form always follows function, and the structure of the church organization is rooted in the gifts of the people. But no spiritual gift is given solely for the benefit of the individual. Gifts are given for the common good – to build the body of Christ.

The most detailed listing of spiritual gifts in the New Testament is in I Corinthians 12. Paul is quite specific in his writing. He starts by saying “Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.” He goes on to describe how each of us is part of the body of Christ and each has a specific function, using the human body as a simile. I hadn’t thought about the fact that this chapter precedes the famous Love chapter. When I realized that it put things in new perspective for me. Each of the gifts, teaching, healing, leadership, administration, was listed as a gift from God. Then the final verse in the chapter says. “But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” The famous Chapter 13, taken in the context of a list of spiritual gifts, says God’s greatest gift to us is love. That is the one gift above all that we must pass on. “If I have all faith so as to move mountains and have not love I am nothing.” Pretty straight talk.

Our world is filled with incredible need. God gives us both the opportunity and the gifts necessary to meet every need. God waits eagerly to see what we will do with these gifts.

Every month in the bulletin and on the website a variety of ways in which members of our congregation can use their spiritual gifts is offered. God has given each of us beautiful gifts. Now is the time to decide what we will do with them. The response is a simple as a phone call or an email.