4 There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 5 and there are different ministries and the same Lord; 6 and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. 7 A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good.
Reflection
Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth is one of his first attempts at verbalizing his theology, his understanding of God, and what some 300 years later became known as “Trinitarian theology” (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Gifts of the Spirit is Paul’s attempt at describing the awesome and amazing Lord at work within the community. I believe the most important part of his description is verse 7: A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good. Paul was communicating with churches but I believe these gifts of the Spirit know no single faith tradition, that the Spirit is all-inclusive “in everyone”, and that “for the common good” means exactly that. It is our responsibility to discover our own unique spiritual gift, to nurture that gift and to use that gift whenever and wherever we can.
As I reflected on this scripture, I found myself using the Spiritual Gift I discovered and recognize as my own: Teaching. I am a teacher! As I prepared this reflection, I found myself diving deeper and deeper to learn more and more as I researched Paul’s ministry, his letters, and the context of the world in which he lived. God has gifted me with a hunger to gather
information, then teach others about my discoveries so they may better follow the way of Jesus. I admit that sometimes I am too hungry to keep gathering information and I have felt overwhelmed, just as Pastor Joe described in his Sunday message. That hunger has not stopped in retirement.
Gathering information and interpreting it for my audience is a big part of what I did for 40 years as a teacher, a minister of Christian Education, an Associate Pastor and in countless other roles. I have led people of all ages to grow in their faith, to ask questions, and to grow in relationship with God. Now I am discovering that teaching is a gift of the spirit that never retires; it just changes location and description. The seeds of my gift continue to be planted, to be nurtured and to grow. I am involved at a church in Frederick MD where I am part of a bible study group that allows me to share what I have learned with others. Our three children are adults now and the life lessons I taught them have helped them discover their own gifts of the
Spirit and are leading them in ways I never imagined. We have four grandchildren, and my gift has found a new audience. Gifts of the Spirit keep on giving if we stay focused on where God is leading us to share them.
by Kathleen Stolz
For Pondering and Prayer
When I retired and moved to MD it was at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. One of our granddaughters was 4 years old and her preschool was closed. Her parents were working at home, and her older sister was doing school on-line. So, what was a grandmother to do? Using what I had learned by observing Medford UMC Preschool, I developed a special creative learning, nurturing environment that we called “KoKo School” (because our grandchildren call me KoKo). During that all-important pre- kindergarten year, I used my gift of the Spirit which continues to bear fruit as our granddaughter journeys through life.
Scripture includes numerous gifts of the Spirit. If you have not yet discovered yours, check out the many possibilities by searching the Internet “Spiritual Gifts in the Bible.”
Ask yourself:
Have I identified a gift that the Spirit has planted within me?
In what ways am I nurturing that gift?
Who else is or will benefit from the gift that the Spirit has given me?
How have I shared it with others?
Prayer: Great Generous Spirit, thank you for the gift you have planted within me. I humbly ask for wisdom, courage, and strength to develop that gift so it may bear fruit throughout my community for the common good. Amen
