Monday, February 27, 2012

Spirit and the Kingdom - III

These grace-filled talents and skills are given to allow each person a place of valued service. Each one is needed. Each one depends on all the others. These gifts are sources and tools of love and unity.

Of course, God did not give us a detailed explanation of these gifts. So, there are a multitude of theories about how they are given, what they are and how they should be expressed. On one end of the continuum is not gifts are given. They were a one-time deal for the first church. On the other end, all gifts are given. And in the middle, all were given, but now some are given. Some say God gives a certain set of gifts listed in the bible. Others say anything given to God and empowered with his grace is a gift. So there caould be a spiritual gift of tuba playing, accounting or oil changing.

There are a lot of emotion, hard feelings and animosity behind these theories. God's tool to express love and unity have become a source of anger and division.
 

No comments: