Spiritual Gifts

Tonight the Natural Church Development (NCD) team will be meeting at 6 pm in the Chapel. One topic that has come up in each of the core areas is the need to understand Spiritual Gifts and use people in ways that highlight and encourage the use of their particular gifts. Naturally, many of us are inclined to include a "Spiritual Gift Inventory" as part of the action plan to address this need. I have used inventories in the past and have had mixed feelings about them. Ultimately I return to the thought that the best way to discern spiritual gifts is through spiritual discernment rather than inventory "tests". I consider the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. They didn't take a test to find out they had the gift of speaking in all the native languages of the people who had gathered there--they were simply moved by the Spirit to do so. Paul didn't take a test to find that he had gifts of preaching and apostleship (starting new faith communities). Rather God said "go" and he went. Thus far as I look at the people in our congregation who have taken on leadership in the NCD process they have fallen into leadership in quality characteristics that completely make sense for them. They have responded to the call to get involved in taking ownership of the church and are following their passions to the characteristics where God is equipping them to serve. It seems to me fundamentally flawed to thing of Spiritual gifts as natural gifts that we all have if only we could take a test find out what they are, and use them. Spiritual gifts are "Spiritual" because they are given by the Spirit--in other words they are not natural. They are given by God to equip us for the ministry to which God has called us. God does not call the equipped, Rather God equips those who are called no matter how ridiculous the call might appear. Moses couldn't speak well, but was called to go to Pharaoh. Paul persecuted the church, but was called to lead it. Peter was a stumbling stone to Jesus, but became the rock on which Jesus built the church. We are called, then we are gifted. Sometimes there is evidence of the gift before the call, but not necessarily. So... my inclination is to as members of the congregation not to discern their gifts so we can put them to better use, rather to ask them to discern their call so we can look for ways to develop the necessary gifts that God will surely give to those whom God has called. Whether your are a member of this congregation or not, Let me know your thoughts...