Spiritual gifts: They're not magic

We are now in the season of Pentecost, a true occasion for rejoicing amongst Christian believers. The Holy Spirit, given to the church, has become the means by which we can know Jesus Christ. It is also the means by which we can live in a reconciled community together. And that's good news!

Each year, Pentecost also makes me reflect on the issue of spiritual gifts, which is always popular in the church.

I have three strong beliefs about spiritual gifts:

1) Spiritual gifts can only be received and used through the church.

2) Spiritual gifts are not magical.

3) Spiritual gifts are given to every Christian.

You'll see these convictions come through in my current article in the UM Reporter. I have already received a couple of e-mails about this, specifically from people who are not comfortable with my conclusions. So let me explain.

Spiritual gifts can only be used in the context of the church. When Paul talks about spritiual gifts (in Romans 4:4-8, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, and Ephesians 4:11-16), he always talks about them as instruments that individuals use to build up the church. They are not for spiritual showmanship. In fact, the whole discussion of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14 is designed to counter claims of spiritual superiority by some members of the community over others ("Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, but those who prophesy build up the church" 1 Cor 14:4). And since Paul was writing to the church about the life of the church, it makes no sense to talk about spiritual gifts apart from the church itself. They are not intended as special powers that individual Christians carry around, to be used at their individual discretion. They are possessed individually only insofar as they are used for the benefit of the whole Christian community. And "community" here is key; this is not an argument about using gifts in a specific building or worship service, but rather within the body of Christ.

Spiritual gifts are not magical. They are dependent on the power of God, not of human charisma or charm. Only when they are used in such a way to glorify God, and in an attitude of dependence on God, can they be efficacious for building up the church at all. Look at Mark 9, where the disciples fail to heal the boy with the evil spirit. They are clearly trying to broker Jesus' power, thinking that they can act on their own simply because they are recognized as his disciples. No dice. Jesus' response, "This kind can only come out by prayer" (Mk 9:29), corrects the disciples' mistaken orientation. For an interesting parallel, look at the story of Simon the Magician in Acts 8. This time the Spirit-led disciples are acting in the role of Jesus. Simon asks for the power of the Holy Spirit so that he can peddle it, and he earns a strong rebuke from Peter for his trouble.

Spiritual gifts are given to every Christian. I've seen "Spiritual Gifts Inventories" that list every spiritual gift Paul mentions (there are about 20 different ones) and then propose to tell you which one you possess by means of a survey. There is a flaw to this approach, though. And it is that Paul's lists of gifts are not meant to be exhaustive. The passages in Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Ephesians have some overlap, but there are also gifts listed in each letter that are not listed in the other two. Why? Because Paul was using the lists rhetorically, not as the final word on what constitutes a spiritual gift. Since we are the body of Christ, and each of us members of it, we all receive the gift of the Holy Spirit by virtue of our baptism into that body. That means the Spirit works through us to offer gifts to the larger community.

Still not convinced? Think about 1 Corinthians 13, the famous "love chapter." Love is the "more excellent way" for Paul, and it concludes his previous discussion of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. Hence love itself is the greatest spiritual gift. So do you know a Christian who has not received Christ's love? Of course not. We all have spiritual gifts, and we're called to use them to build up the church. What a great thing!

More on the New Monastics

Since my post on New Monasticism a couple of weeks ago, several of you have e-mailed me with the link to the recent NPR interview with Shane Claiborne. I'm listening to it as I type this post, and it is very good.

Here's the link in case you'd like to listen. It's almost an hour long, and worth every minute!

I've also had a couple of friends here in Durham gently prodding me to read Irresistible Revolution, so it is now officially on my summer reading list.

Reading Yoder

This summer I am reading John Howard Yoder with some friends. We are only a couple of weeks into it, but it has been a tremendous experience so far. I had not read a line of Yoder before, not even his famous book, The Politics of Jesus.

I want to blog about Yoder from time to time over the course of the summer. But first I'd like to ask the readers of this blog if you all have read Yoder before, and if so, what your experience with him has been like.

New Monasticism and living intentionally

My closest connection to an "intentional Christian community" has been with Subiaco Abbey, a Benedictine monastery nestled in the Arkansas River Valley. I have stayed there twice and find myself very attracted tothe contemplative aspects of the monastic lifestyle.

There are lots of Protestant intentional communities, of course. One here in Durham is called Rutba House, and I have visited there and shared a meal with the folks who live there. My understanding of Rutba House is that it is the leading community in the "New Monasticism" movement that is growing in cities around the country and is largely made up of Gen X and Millennial aged Christians who are seeking to reclaim Christian identity in an increasingly fragmented world.

Whether Catholic or Protestant, I admire intentional communities largely because they seem able to integrate their discipleship into the entirety of their lives in a way that I find extremely difficult to do in my own life. And they seem to have a very clear understanding of what Christian identity means in its totality (that is, it is something who defines who you are and how you live down to your bones, rather than an occasional label you claim). I recognize that such a commitment can only come about in community; it just isn't sustainable on one's own. It remains beyond my reach at this point in my life, and yet it is something that I yearn for very much.

The UM Reporter recently published a story on Shane Claiborne, who is probably the most well-known leader of New Monasticism. I have not read his book, Irresistible Revolution, but friends here who have say it is remarkable. Shane is a part of the Simple Way community in Philadelphia rather than Rutba House. I don't know what, if any, official connection exists between the two. But they are clearly expressions of the same Spirit-led movement. And I think it is going to be an extremely important one of the course of this generation's life, as we continue to see the church redefined in relation to the culture.

What does is mean to conference together?

Ever been to annual conference?

I talked about annual conference with a prominent professor at Duke earlier this week. He said that, after attending his first annual conference, he felt lucky to come out a Christian.

It was a funny comment, and it was said half-jokingly. But the frustration that so many people feel about annual conference is not funny at all. This is supposed to be the central gathering of Methodists each year, where we recommit and renew ourselves for ministry. What does it mean when annual conference is dreaded by those who must attend? Or simply not understood by most laity in the connection?

I think this is an extremely important issue for Gen X'ers and Millennials. For one, I think the interest our generations have in the upcoming General Conference in 2008 shows that we have not given up on the idea of conference. For another, annual conference is simply not going to go away. The United Methodist Church is not, and should not be, a congregational system. And neither should annual conference devolve into simply a business session that must be endured.

I know annual conferences vary widely in how they are perceived and how they are conducted. I have actually been very encouraged in recent years by changes that the Arkansas Conference has made to put worship and ministry resourcing front and center. On the other hand, changes could still be made to improve it. For instance, I understand why we have petitions. But they are often distracting and create more polarization that consensus. Would it be so bad if we simply decided not to debate and pass resolutions??

I write about reclaiming the Wesleyan sense of conferencing in my current column in the United Methodist Reporter. You can read it here.

Practicing your faith

I don't believe in a John 3:16 faith.

That is, I don't believe that the Christian faith is summed up perfectly in that particular verse, as so many people do. Now I do think every bit of it is true: God does love the world; he did give his only begotten son; we are called to believe in him and we are promised eternal life.

But the problem with a John 3:16 faith is that so many people both start and stop with it. The transformation of their lives (what we call sanctification) is not important, so long as they believe that Jesus is who he says he is. How they use their time, who they choose to love, how they spend their money, and whether they commit to life in the church don't seem to have much bearing in their lives.

The problem with this, of course, is that it runs against the grain of the entire New Testament witness. The Scriptures want to testify to us how our lives are transformed by Christ as we live in the covenant community known as the church. And that involves a change in our habits. Every one of them.

There are other "3:16s" out there that help to put John 3:16 in its proper perspective. Check out Ephesians 3:16, which speaks of inner transformation through the power of the Spirit (a transformation which, if it is true, must be expressed outwardly as well). Or Philippians 3:16, which enjoins us to hold fast to what we have attained - a statement which, in the light of Paul's previous comments about pressing on toward the goal, is about the importance of how we live out our lives in concrete acts. Then, of course, there is Revelation 3:16, where the Laodiceans are told that they will be spewed out of Christ's mouth for their lukewarmness. If that's not a call to a new way of life, I don't know what is!

About a year and a half ago, Steve Manskar at the General Board of Discipleship asked me to write a couple of short essays for Covenant Discipleship Quarterly about my experience with Covenant Discipleship Groups. I happen to think CD Groups are one of the best tools in helping Christians practice their faith through concrete acts - acts which, in turn, help to facilitate the work of the Spirit in sanctification. So if you are interested in something more than a simple John 3:16 faith, you should check out Steve's work in Covenant Discipleship at the GBOD. The website is here.

Those two essays I wrote for the CDQ are online as well:

Covenant Discipleship and My Journey into Ministry (Part I)

Covenant Discipleship and My Journey into Ministry (Part II)

Steve recently asked me to start contributing regularly to CDQ, so there will be more essays out in the future. I'll post them on the blog as I do with my United Methodist Reporter columns.

Cure for the post-Christian blues

A friend recently wrote to ask me for my definition of "post-Christian." It's a tricky term, and it probably gets thrown around too much. But I do think we are living in an increasingly post-Christian culture in this country. I see that primarily in that we can no longer count on people to be familiar with the Christian faith, the church, or the Bible simply by virtue of growing up in our society.

Now, many people have pointed out that society moving in a post-Christian direction is not necessarily such a bad thing. In a culture where everybody is a Christian, is anybody really Christian? Throughout most of the 20th century, it was far too easy for Americans to consider their Christian faith and their American citizenship as one in the same. A good Christian was a good, patriotic American. It was that simple. The danger of that type of confusion has been pointed out by many pastors and theologians in recent years.

Society is more 'secular' than ever, and it is becoming more so everyday. Just last night, I was flipping around the TV and paused at Real Time With Bill Maher and The Colbert Report. In the span of just a couple of minutes watching each show, the two hosts made vicious comments about Christian faith and practice. I know, I know. I should consider the sources. Bill Maher in particular is extremely hostile to religious faith of any kind (and not just Christian). And Colbert's a practicing Catholic who pokes at Christianity from the 'inside.'

But my point is this: it is now completely acceptable to ridicule Christian faith in mainstream media. For Maher, Colbert, and a hundred other TV and radio hosts. And not just in a satirical, joking way, but often in a way that is designed to denigrate and dismiss.

So what does this mean? It means that a kid growing up watching Bill Maher and Stephen Colbert rather than going to church is going to be formed in a very particular way. Not only will he not be a Christian; he will be hostile to Christianity. And since there are more and more kids every day who are growing up that way, our society is becoming increasingly post-Christian.

This is a huge challenge and a huge opportunity for Christians. It is a challenge because it means we have got to choose whether or not we really want to be Christians. After all, Christian identity is not just a matter of saying "I believe" with John 3:16 and leaving it at that. It is a way of life, to be lived in the place we call the church. So we are challenged to declare our allegiance. Will we go with Joshua, when he says, "As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15)? Or will we let ourselves slip into a comfortably heathen existence?

And the opportunity? The opportunity is one for faithfulness. For far too long, we have lived as Laodiceans. If Christ returned today (and he might), we Methodists should not be surprised if he looked at us and said, "Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth" (Rev 3:16). But the transition to a post-Christian society means that the church no longer has to confuse citizenship with discipleship. We can live into a fervent faith. And if we don't, our failure to do so will become much more apparent (much more quickly) to both ourselves and others.

So we should be of good courage. Being Christian in a post-Christian world offers us the chance to practice a faith that has been scarcely seen in our culture's history.

Blogging from Peru

Since the summer of 2001, I have been fortunate enough to travel to Chincha, Peru, on five different occasions. The Iglesia Metodista del Peru is active there, doing the kind of ministry that would make John Wesley himself proud. They are supporting poor and hungry children, and taking the glad tidings of salvation to people in deep need.

I have a friend there, a Methodist pastor named Pedro Uchuya-Torres. Pedro is a model of faithfulness to me. Besides working full-time in a school, he has pastored a local church, coordinated city-wide ministries among various Methodist churches, and served as a district superintendent - all at the same time.

Pedro wrote me recently to say that he had been moved from Chincha to Ica, which is a larger city nearby. He'll maintain his residence in Chincha, where he will continue to serve as teacher and administrator at his school. And he will no doubt keep making his over-sized contribution to the kingdom of God.

Pedro also wrote to say that he has started a blog! Check it out here. And drop him a line when you get a chance, to let him know that his brothers and sisters in los Estados Unidos are praying for him and his ministry.