This week, I am going to attempt to make the blog a little more interactive.  Less like my general musings and more of a forum for discussion.  

The gifts of wisdom and knowledge seem to be a couplet.  It is almost as if one takes knowledge of scripture and gleans the wisdom of the Lord from it. How can one use the gift of knowledge without wisdom? The definition of the two from our notes outline was: "Knowledge is an awareness of facts and wisdom is an ability to use those facts to accomplish good goals".  Looking at that, one might assume that wisdom is the completion of knowledge.  If this were so, it would seem that the gift of wisdom would always be granted where the gift of knowledge has been bestowed, because spiritual gifts are used to build up the church.  How can the body of Christ be strengthened if an individual has only the gift of knowledge, which seems to only benefit the individual? Then again, 1 Corinthians 14 says that the gift of tongues edifies the individual, while the gift of prophecy is beneficial to the church as a whole.  

So, do you think the gift of knowledge comes independently of wisdom (note the definition above)? It poses an interesting question, because if you say yes, then you are obligated to say how the gift is beneficial to the church, because the definition says that wisdom is the use of facts for the accomplishment of goals.  There is another twist to this: if knowing the scriptures convicts the heart of a Christian than knowledge could be a spiritual gift independent of wisdom, because the conviction would prompt the individual to action which would ultimately impact the church.  These are just a few things to think about!

~Bonnie

More Than a Pan of Brownies

Before Kori’s lesson on Hospitality, I had a very skewed idea of what it was.  Here is a little insight into my erroneous thoughts: “A hostess welcomes guests at her door and makes them feel comfortable and at ease.  It is her job to prepare snacks and entertainment for any group and see that everyone in her home’s needs are met.  If the guest is staying overnight, then the hostess makes sure their room is ready and their breakfast is to their satisfaction in the morning.  A hostess is loved and welcoming.” 

This sounds like a very rosy picture of a hostess, but it is essentially lacking.  My picture of a hostess grossly ignored the spiritual needs that are met through hosting guests and who those guest should be.  Tuesday night was an eye-opening experience from which I gathered much knowledge, which revolutionized my view of a hostess.  

When I was thinking the lesson over this morning, I began to recall some Old Testament characters who were excellent examples of hostesses, well actually hosts. (Interestingly enough, our modern society all but exempts men from the role of being a host.)  The two characters I thought of were Abraham and Lot. 

Abraham was a man of the Old Testament, whom Jesus’ lineage traces back to.  Please read Genesis 18:1-8.  Notice how he responds to the guest.  Referencing Matthew 25: 40: “The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Do you see the absolute importance of treating all guest with love?  The actions of Abraham directly correlate with Kori’s key emphasis in her lesson on hostessing: receive people who are strangers, keep them as guests and send them off as friends.  Meeting strangers with the heart of Christ rather than cold indifference is as if the same as honoring the Lord.  I have spent far too long being hesitant of those I don’t know or remaining only in the company of those I do. Abraham is an excellent example of what a host is and how we are to treat those who God has sent into our lives .

Abraham’s nephew Lot also demonstrated hospitality.  He was in the most sinful city, Sodom.  To fully understand the sacrifices Lot made made for his two guest, please turn to Genesis 19.  We first notice that Lot found the guest at the city gate and knowing this was not a safe place for them, offered them stay in his own home.  There, he protected them, and they protected him.  The two men were angels sent for Lot’s protection.  Every guest God sends to your home or places in your path is there for a purpose.  It glorified God when Lot accepted the two angels into his home, we too should seek to bring our Lord praise. 

Looking over these two examples, it becomes clear that being a hostess is much more than the world tells us.  Making a divine pan of brownies is not the sum of being a gracious hostess. True hostessing uses such a small task  to exalt a gracious and divine Lord.  Align your heart to God’s will, that you may embrace those who He sets in your path with the warmth of his love and the comfort of his embrace.  Truly this is the sum of being a hostess in the service of the Lord.  

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The Parable of the Talents is the greatest illustration of stewardship.  After the Tuesday night study, I followed Kori's urging and read the parable.  One of the most striking aspects of story is the independence granted to each of the three servants.  When the master left, he did not write out word for word instructions on what was to be done with the money.  How then, you might ask, were they to know what to do with the talents entrusted to them?  Many of you might ask the same question of your spiritual gift.  After learning of your gift, it is God's will that you use it for his glory.  Many get anxious at this point and begin to worry about where or if God will use their gifts.  On this topic, there is much to glean from the parable in Mathew 25: 14-30.  Focusing in on the conversation between the Master and the 3rd servant, please read verses 24-30.  It is here that we read of the third servant’s failure and fear.  Reading the parable for the first time, many are confused by the cause of the master’s anger.  The reasoning for his outrage is rather simple: his servant did not heed his example.  The job of a servant is to please his master.  In order to accomplish this task, it is necessary for a servant to know the pleasures and routines of his employer.  Think about it: when your boss asks you to fetch him a cup of coffee, it is assumed that you know if he takes decaff or regular, sugar or splenda, a mocha or a frappuccino.  If your task was to bring your boss his favorite coffee, but instead you returned with his money and said, “Sorry, I couldn’t remember what you liked in your coffee, so I decided not to risk it”, how would your boss respond?  Similarly, the servant knew that his master desired profits and was looking to increase his wealth.  The master had set a clear example of how he expected money to be handled, so that there was no guesswork as to how the talent was to be used.  Despite this knowledge, the servant chose to bury what had been entrusted to him because he was paralyzed by fear. This fear prevented him from doing the will of the master and reaped negative consequence upon his head.  I encourage you that there is no reason to fear the use of your gift, for the Lord has entrusted the gift to you and has a plan for its use.  God desires for us to employ our gifts for the building up of the church, just as the master expected his servants to make use of his talents. Every day draws us closer to Christ return, making it paramount that we apply our gifts in a way that is first fitting to God and secondly beneficial to man.  

An act of love is often thought highly of in our society.  Actions speak louder than words, often implies that showing your love through deeds has more value than simply saying "I love you".  Why is there so much emphasis on proving love?  The world is not known for its honesty and many find it difficult to trust.  Without trust, it is constant proof is imperative.  Our society has taught girls to be wary of the boys who say "I love you".  Ulterior motives cause many to worry.  The boy may not actually love the girl, but might desire to get something from her and abuse her trust to obtain his own pleasure.  The trouble is, when we become Christians, we often bring in these old views of love.  This poses a challenge for Christians who think simply fulfilling the job associated with their gifts is an appropriate use of the gift.  How often do we have the "FINE, I guess I'll do it" attitude about our jobs? Taking this outlook does not reap the benefits of serving in love.  The love is not the action, it is the condition of the heart.  The visible proof can often found in the deed, but the love is not actually the deed. The world struggles intensely with this point because corruption disables unbelievers from experiencing true love.  It comes down to this, God's love for us is pure and untainted, demonstrated through action but not based on it.  We need to allow this love to overflow in and through us.  This sort of love is unmistakable.  The words of Kant have dictated the American view of love for nearly 200 years, but the foundation of true love is found in the Father.  It is this true love that we should all desire and implement in ministry.

Last night, as Kori walked us through the analogy of the physical body representing the various members of the spiritual body and their spiritual gifts, I was most struck by Christ's role.  He is the mind of the body.   All of the gifts that have been generously bestowed upon us have come from Christ's hand and are to be used for his purpose, so it seems logical that we would follow his direction for their use.  This seems to be a basic principle, but often the direction of a church or ministry veers from the God's plan and follows the path the pastor or leader paves.  A teacher is to be speaking what the mind commands, and nothing else.  The mouth is not the mind!  When a leader is gathering a group for service, he or she has the responsibility of seeking God's will rather than acting on individual inspiration.  When we become Christians, we submit to Christ. Why then do so many trust their own abilities before seeking the counsel of an omniscient God?  It begins to make more sense now why a hierarchy of spiritual gifts forms.  If we allow ourselves to believe that our job is to follow the mouth, then in our hearts we have diminished the authority of Christ.  When we do so, we no longer view our gifts in the way he does, but we begin to compare our gifts to those in leadership positions who we now see as the head of operations.  Then, the desire is to impress those at the top of the system and we begin to fit our unique gifts into the mold mere man has cast.  At this point, a gift that is powered through Christ becomes a trait dedicated to man.  If you choose to use your gift in such a way, it will not bear the rich harvest we all desire.  Christ is the mind and he is the only one who can direct you to fertile soil.  

~Bonnie

A gift of great value

After only a week of studying spiritual gifts, I am increasingly disheartened yet amazingly optimistic.  Yes, I know that is a great paradox, but bear with me.  I have spent all my life in church, and heard very little on the topic of spiritual gifts.  In fact I was grossly ignorant of their value and meaning.  During lunch today, many of my friends asked my what my bracelet meant.  I began explaining that it was a symbol of  my spiritual gift, but my audience replied with puzzled looks.  No one had heard of spiritual gifts! This is quite audacious considering that these were Christian girls in a Christian school.  I was very thankful that God used me as an instrument to share even a small bit about the amazing gifts he has bestowed upon all believers.  It is a disconcerting reality that many Christians are unaware of their spiritual gifts or even the idea of spiritual gifts.  Now couple this with what we learned Tuesday, that these gifts are for the maturing of the church, and it becomes blatantly obvious why the modern American church is at such a stalemate.  This is where great optimism comes into play because a great harvest awaits in this study!  What a beautiful sight it shall be when the Women of Wilcrest take their place in service.  How much more efficiently will our church run? How many more will be reached? Growth and maturity await those who dedicate themselves to use these various gifts of grace.  I cannot wait to see how all of your gifts manifest according to God's will.  Truly, this is the proper time for this study.  

<3 Bonnie

2nd Semester!

Hello Ladies of Wilcrest,

This upcoming semester of The Gathering has many new and exciting elements, including this blog.  There will be weekly postings, which you can comment on.  The blog is a resource for discussion and deeper examination of the lesson taught by Kori.  It is my prayer that God will use the words and thoughts posted here by our sisters to convict our hearts and increase our understanding of spiritual gifts.  I look forward to this time of harvest and growth in the women of Wilcrest!

--Bonnie