When Iain invited me to speak on the theme of ‘Knowing and Contributing your gifts’ I was both intrigued and somewhat intimidated.
A Big Topic
It’s obviously such a big topic that could be handled in any number of ways but it is also one which I think a lot of people actually really care about, perhaps even sometimes more than we like to let on. Meaning, when our contribution is not seen, heard and felt it can feel quite miserable, really. It can make us question, do I really belong here?
At Our Best…
Without even rehearsing Baptistic convictions about participation of all members, I think we all get the fact we (the church) are at our best when we feel empowered by God’s Holy Spirit and are stepping out in the Spirit’s power and our contribution is making a difference in the kingdom of God. As hard as it can be to measure fruit in the kingdom of God, that feeling of not knowing how or in what way to play your part can make church feel daunting, pointless or even just frustrating. As well of course as…exciting and even, on a good day, exhilarating!
In One Sermon
I will do my best to be modest in what we can do in one sermon, but I am praying for the church in advance of Sunday and for now would just point to the text that I am preaching on and offer one particular request (which is also a hint as to where I think this topic should go).
A Request
I will preach from 1 Corinthians 12. It’s part of a longer piece by Paul about the Corinthians and I may not have time to read chapter 13 so my request is this; if you get the chance to scan chapter 12 please keep reading until you have also read chapter 13 as well. As nice as it sounds at weddings, Paul exhorts the way of love in the context of church gatherings and gifts.
However, God’s Spirit blows in the days ahead, it feels good to remind ourselves of this trajectory. Perhaps love is the clue and can set the tone in such a way to enable new possibilities in the church and in so doing strengthen the heart of the fellowship.
Stephen Crothers
Pastor at Adelaide Place Baptist Church