Spiritual Gifts Discussion

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We've been talking about spiritual gifts in our cell. Here are some of the verses that have been guiding us:

Ephesians 4:1-16 (NIV)
1Cor 12:1- 13:3 (NIV)
Matthew 25:14-28

Using a spiritual gifts discernment questionaire, we identified our own spiritual strengths, some of which surprised us! Some of the results surprised us, for being considered spiritual, such as Administration. There are people among us who the Spirit guides through discerning and creating the processes that keep us, the church, a healthy organism - that's a good thing!

We've been just as surprised at the discovery that God has placed gifts in us, such as Faith*. Many of us feel and know faith but don't understand if there is a difference between faith in general and faith as a gift. Is it all a gift and lots of us get it in different amounts?

Clearly, as followers of Jesus, we are all called to have Faith*. We are called to show Mercy. As disciples, we're called in a lot of challenging and rewarding ways. But, in all kinds of ways, where some are carrying out Jesus' imperatives, others are expressing their gifts. Huh!

So, we have more questions than answers. We hope a discussion can breathe some insight into our search.

Here are the questions I'd like us to discuss:

• How is operating out of our personal strengths different than operating out of our spiritual gifts - is it?
  
• How do you discern the difference between your areas of giftedness versus what you approach as a spiritual discipline?
  

*Taken from the questionaire: "To have faith is the gift God gives members of the body of Christ by which they see the will and purpose of God for a time or context and trust Him to bring about the supernatural or miraculous."

Here are some things I've been reading and listening to these days:

• Our Public Meeting on Rest.
• Bart
• Henri Nouwen.
• Job 2:13

And most recently, this:

"...Doing what God asks is, of course, not something we can ever achieve in ourselves. Not only did God never mean us to do so, he intended that our failures in obedience lead us to surrender." - - David Benner's Surrender To Love

Can failure really be a catalyst for a deeper relationship with God?

Frequently, I'm disappointed, that the outcomes of my actions fall short of my expectations.

- As much as I'm counting on getting the job I interviewed for, and as much as I want it, I may
wait out this next week, only to recieve some disappointing news.
- I can't seem to get anyone organized, either to spend some time on a weekend over a meal,
speaking Spanish, or on a weeknight, to see a play.
- I spend some time planning a lesson for the English class I teach, only to get in front of the class
having no idea how to get myself started.
- I plan my cell in advance, and again, when it's time to sit together and share, I can't seem to
make the connections that will spark conversation.

I'm relying a lot on myself here. I'm relying on the plan. I'm relying a lot on the results, to feel good about myself when I go home at the end of the night.

And it's not happening right now.

Some Rules for Engagement

So, I've never done this before. Some of you, like my Dad, have been involved in discussion groups, like Food for Thought, that lay down good ground rules for conversations like these, that ensure the safety of the individuals involved. Here are some that come to mind:

- You, like me, are entitled to your opinion. It's distinctly yours and distinctly you. I will honor
it, whether or not I agree. I will honor you.

- I will be careful not to attack or accuse. I'll be sparing on personal judgments. Please forgive
me my assumptions, and gently correct me when I cross your boundaries. I'll try to do the
same.

- I know how limiting text can be to express how deeply we feel sometimes. Even so, let's limit
our punctuation marks to one at the end of our sentences. !!! 's especially are conversation
killers. We can take a break and come back, if we're that upset.

- Often there are a lot of deep wounds behind seemingly insignificant responses. In that light, I
will treat what I don't understand about you carefully, compassionately.


If we can agree, more even to the spirit of these words than the words themselves, let's continue।