If we live by the Spirit, let us
also be guided by the Spirit.
— Galatians 5:22-26
Resource Archive: Newsletter Archives
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— Galatians 5:22-26 Resource Archive: Newsletter Archives |
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Who would benefit from this issue? Pastors, church ministry coordinators, Christian education directors, stewardship teams, church councils, and any Christian seeking to discern a more effective use of his or her gifts.
A- Read: Galatians 5:22-26
If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. (v.25) As I write, I stare out the window at my vegetable garden that has begun to produce this year's harvest. It took a lot of work to get it to this point. In the spring, the ground had to be tilled and raked to prepare it for the seedlings, which I started in small pots. Then I planted, watered, and weeded the garden to make sure the young plants would survive. Now I check each day to see what needs to be harvested, even as I continue the watering and weeding. We put a lot of work into planting and harvesting our gardens. Producing fruits requires labor. That's true of our lives as Christians, too. Paul calls us each to live a life that is grounded and guided by the Holy Spirit. Living in the Spirit means that we each need to pay attention to the decisions and means by which we live our daily lives. Imagine what our congregations and communities might be like if each Christian put as much labor into living guided by the Spirit as he or she does into gardening. May we as congregational leaders seek to live, paying attention to the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit in our midst. Let us encourage each other so that God's harvest in our communities might be fruitful and rich. Copyright © 2007 Susan M. Lang
2- The Power of Spiritual
Gifts Spiritual gifts are the energy that drives individuals and congregations to fulfill God's call. Once we understand when we receive these gifts and why we have them, we can then begin using them in ministry. The Pentecost experience in the book of Acts (2:1-4) and the baptism of Jesus in the book of Luke (3:21-22) are crucial to our understanding of gifts. In both these accounts, the entrance of the Holy Spirit is what gives them the power to enable God's love to be shared and his word to be understood. Before Pentecost, Simon Peter and the rest of the disciples had been commissioned by Jesus to "go ye therefore and make disciples." In other words, they had been given a job. They'd had a very special relationship with Jesus. They'd understood and keenly felt his love. But they did not have the power to do what Jesus wanted done, until the Holy Spirit entered into them at Pentecost. Upon the Spirit's entrance, growth and witness took place that otherwise would not have happened. And the church was born. Today the Holy Spirit
enters into our lives when we are baptized. As the water of baptism is
placed on our heads, the Spirit enters and gives us power to do what otherwise
we could not do. For years, my focus had been that upon baptism we entered
into a special relationship with God that enabled us to receive special
blessings from him. Yet, I failed to understand the aspect of call, and
the power that comes to fulfill that call, to do that which Jesus wants
us to do. In 1987, I came to
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Crestview Hills, located in Northern Kentucky,
across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio. One of the first calls I made
was to a shut-in named Dulcie Boyd. Dulcie had crippling arthritis that
caused her to be in pain whenever she moved. Therefore, once she made
it to her big chair, that’s where she would stay for the remainder
of her day. As I talked with her, she told me how she spent her time,
primarily praying for three to four hours a day, for her friends, each
member of the congregation, and others who had special needs. When Dulcie died in
1994, the sanctuary was standing room only. Dulcie would have been shocked
that so many people came to her funeral. She would have wondered who they
were as she wouldn't have recognized their faces. In fact during the time
I was at Gloria Dei, she never attended one service where she could have
met these people. But Dulcie Boyd impacted all their lives. She took the
spiritual gift that God had given her and used it to help others understand
the power of prayer. I have no doubt that the growth that occurred in
the congregation during those years could be attributed to the gift Dulcie
shared with so many others. One can not take for granted the use of gifts. They are given so the congregation can do the job that God wants done. When gifts are understood, identified, and implemented there is a power and excitement that brings incredible energy into the individual and congregation. Above all, the call that God extends is answered and His mission fulfilled. Copyright © 2007 Neal R. Boese
In his book, Spiritual Gifts: The Power That Drives You and the Congregation, author Neal Boese lists the following spiritual gifts with related Bible passages:
Are the members of your congregational leadership team aware of their spiritual gifts? Frustration can often occur when a person is serving in an area in which he or she is not gifted. Consider using one of the gifts surveys (listed in the resource section) with your leadership team and ask the following questions:
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< Central Bible Passages on Spiritual Gifts
Cyber Sources
Books
Tithing. It is a subject that many people avoid talking about because it deals with an individual's financial commitment to God. To many people, the subject of their finances is too personal to talk about, let alone combining it with a commitment to God. That is why I hesitated when I was asked to speak at the church stewardship dinner. They wanted me to talk about why I tithe. A part of me thought it was too personal to discuss before the members of my church, and I really wasn't sure I wanted anyone to know that I tithe. I had mentioned it to a few people in the past and the usual response had been that tithing was for the rich. But tithing isn't about being rich, as I'm certainly not wealthy; God isn't asking for 10 percent of a million. He will gladly accept 10 percent of a dollar. After praying about it, I accepted the opportunity to talk at the stewardship dinner and share my personal story. Now, after even more prayer, I am passing it on even further. I was raised in the Lutheran Church and always went to Sunday school and church. Each week, I was given a quarter for offering at Sunday school. As I grew up I didn't question the obligation to give to the church offering, but I did not tithe. After college, I married. My husband was in the military and we ended up moving to Jacksonville, Florida. There I worked with a young man named John. John and I were graphic artists for a Navy contractor. Our job was to draw the computerized graphics for the S-3B (an anti-submarine aircraft) training program. After six months of drawing, our tasks became second nature. We would carry on extensive discussions as we sat before the computer screens, drawing pictures. These conversations eventually led to the topic of religion. I knew John was a Christian, and a very devout one. As John and I talked he gave me the very personal details of how he became a Christian. I was fortunate to have been raised in the church. John, on the other hand, did not know God for the first twenty some years of his life. I was surprised to find out that the year before I met John his life was on a fast downward spiral. John had enlisted in the Navy. He was married with two children. Soon after resigning from the Navy, John stayed in the reserves to make extra money. He did not know God and neither did his wife. His children were in trouble at school, his marriage was on the rocks, and financially they were getting deeper and deeper in debt, in spite of working two jobs. John told me he was at the end of his rope and seriously thinking about divorce when his neighbor introduced him to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. That neighbor changed John's life. John accepted God into his life completely. He quit the reserves because it required him to work on the Sabbath. He enrolled his children in a Christian school. John's marriage grew stronger each day as his whole family turned to God. I was in awe of his faith. Although I was raised in the church I did not have the commitment that was so vibrant in John. Then he brought up the subject of tithing. John told me that part of what turned his life around was tithing. He said his church had challenged him to tithe as part of his complete commitment to God. He said tithing created miracles. He told me that he accepted the challenge and began tithing and, in spite of quitting his job with the reserves and enrolling his children in a private Christian school, there was always enough money. He asked me if I tithed. At the time, I was attending church on base. The church was supported by the government, so offering was never an issue. I threw a couple bucks in each Sunday that I attended. I was embarrassed to say that, so I dodged the issue. John challenged me to try it –- for just three months. He said if I didn’t feel a change in my life after three months to go back to where I was –- no harm, no foul. Shortly after that discussion with John, I was accepted to law school, and for many years I didn't think about tithing again. Four years later I found myself in Pensacola, Florida. I was an attorney in the Navy. I had a good job, but I was divorced, and had myself in a tight position financially. I had not been attending church on a regular basis for many years. I was feeling lost and alone, and I needed help. I turned to God and my family. I found and then joined Grace Lutheran Church in Pensacola. I began attending regularly, and I would think of John's challenge as I wrote out my check for offering. It took quite some time, but I finally accepted John's challenge. I began tithing. John was right. Tithing creates miracles. Accidents happen and so do miracles. Time and time again there should not have been enough money because of car problems, house repairs, and all of the other obstacles of life. Time and time again there has been enough money. I call them little miracles. I'm not going to say I don't have problems in my life because I do. But in spite of those problems, I know that God is with me, and he has a plan. John was an inspiration and his challenge has made a difference in my life. I'm telling this story in hopes that it will have a positive impact on someone else. Perhaps it will cause someone to think more about tithing and possibly accept John's challenge. Copyright © 2006 Linda Bowers
A - Recent RevWriter Sightings:
B - What's New?
C - Still Available:
Financial Contributions Welcomed Due to the addition of new charges at my e-zine delivery system, this year it will cost me over $400 to produce and manage The RevWriter Resource. Writers of devotions and main articles have always been, and will continue to be, paid. In the past, this has come out of my personal writing income, but as this ministry continues to grow, the cost to me will also continue to increase. In the effort to maintain the ministry provided through the publication of The RevWriter Resource without requiring a subscriber's fee, I am now welcoming contributions from subscribers.
Most importantly, I appreciate your prayers as this ministry continues to grow during its fifth year in publication. Sue
About the author: RevWriter, Rev. Susan M. Lang, is an interim pastor and writer, residing in Pennsylvania. She is also the author of the Augsburg Fortress Congregational LEADER Series book entitled, OUR COMMUNITY: Dealing with Conflict in Our Congregation. Revwriter Susan M.
Lang http://www.revwriter.com & http://www.suelang.com
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