Do you have a calling?

Do you have a calling? Have you thought about your daily work and tasks not just as your job or your hobby, but as your vocation?

This is a question that has been on my mind a lot lately. And for some reason, I find myself in a lot of conversations about it as well.

The English word vocation comes from the Latin verb vocare, which means to call, to summon, or to name. Thinking about what we do in terms of a vocation instead of just a job or an occupation makes a difference. It causes us to approach our daily work not from the standpoint of what we choose, but rather from the standpoint of how we are called by God.

One of the biggest obstacles for the church to overcome when thinking about vocation is the assumption on the part of many that it is only ministers who are called. But when you get a chance, read the material from the Apostle Paul on spiritual gifts: Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Ephesians 4:1-16.

It's clear from the New Testament that spiritual gifts are given to all members of the body of Christ. They "are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each on individually just as the Spirit chooses" (1 Cor 12:11).

When I was in ministry in Searcy, Arkansas, I led our congregation through a study on spiritual gifts where the authors of the study tried to fit all Christians into one of the gifts specifically mentioned in those three Scripture passages. But I don't think Paul is trying to give us an exhaustive list at all. (That's part of the reason the lists differ in each place.) Instead, Paul is showing us a sample of the diversity of gifts that God gives to the church. That's why the Scripture mentions such things as encouraging, helping, and administration. These are expressions of gifts that admit of a great deal of particularity in expression, exactly because the Holy Spirit uses many different means to build up the church.

I firmly believe that God calls every woman and man. We see that visibly in baptism, but the promise of Jesus is that we will also receive a new birth through the Spirit. In that same Spirit, we can - with patience and discernment - discover the gifts that God gives each of us to bear witness to the gospel and build up the body of Christ.

Here's a prayer for discernment, from the United Methodist Book of Worship (p.510):

Almighty God, in a world of change you placed eternity in our hearts and gave us power to discern good from evil. Grant us sincerity, that we may persistently seek the things that endure, refusing those which perish, and that, amid things vanishing and deceptive, we may see the truth steadily, follow the light faithfully, and grow ever richer in that love which is the life of all people; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

I think sharing about our Christian vocation can be a fruitful form of mutual witness. I shared about my own sense of vocation a few days ago in this post. If you'd like to share about yours, please feel free to do so in the comments section.

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!