April 14, 2012

This morning I will drive to Columbia for Surge, the College Ministry leaders’ annual resourcing through the Annual Conference. Because we are blessed with a conference grant, this event is required, and last year it was truly beneficial. I am looking forward to this day, which has taken several turns already. Originally I was planning to head to Columbia on Friday night so I could be more rested and not drive up and back today. I made a hotel reservation, but it was in Boonville, as Columbia seems to be booked up with statewide school math contests and athletic events. I then decided that I could stay home on Friday evening, work on my sermon and get a good night’s rest, both of which I have done.

So I was awake at 3:15, and stayed in bed until the clock turned 4 am, which I call “John Wesley time.” He was a disciplined early riser, and used the morning to great profit. I will read scripture, write, pray, and prepare for the weekend. I hope to be in the car by 6:30, so that my drive to Columbia is leisurely. I will leave the Surge event around 1, so that I can return to Springfield, go to the gym, and be home by 5:45 for the evening. Thank you Lord for this morning hour.

I Corinthians 12

In this chapter Paul teaches the readers who are members of the Corinthian church about the way God has distributed gifts to individuals for the work of the church – some apostles, some prophets, some teachers, workers of miracles, healers, administrators, tongues and interpreters of tongues. I will be preaching on this chapter tomorrow, focusing on the first 11 verses and emphasizing to the hearers, especially the confirmands that God has a role for each person in the body.

On Thursday I took a spiritual gifts analysis, as part of my Annual Conference nomination process. On Friday I read the summary, and was somewhat surprised by the results. I am mindful that the last time I took a gifts survey, I was either planting a church or working in the conference office in church planting! Apostleship was higher up the list, as was mercy. Helps/serving has always been near the bottom, as has prophecy. In this survey, faith came out on top, with Pastor/teaching, leadership, and wisdom being tied for second. It seems to me that these are the gifts needed for the current role to which I am called, and this illustrates for me the beauty of how God distributes the gifts as needed for the body!

The email from the conference with my gifts survey results also suggested a book – What You Do Best in the Body of Christ by Bruce Bugbee. I was able to purchase the Kindle version and have now loaded it on both my laptop and Droid (this was a great breakthrough for me – figuring out how to get my Kindle books to more than one device. I will next try to figure out how to get the Kindle to read aloud to me while I drive!) Bugbee has worked in this arena for 30 years and has some great ideas. Pastor Mi Hyeon and I are longing to develop at Wesley an intentional system of gifts discovery, along with passions and experience to help members get fully engaged in serving Christ through the body. I think we will be there in the next 12 months. Bugbee, Hamilton, Kinghorn, Saddleback, Willow Creek are all resources we will draw upon. These messages the next few weeks are to whet our corporate thirst for being a gifts-based ministry. John Ed Mathison preaching in September will also help move us forward.

Guide me today, most holy Lord as I exercise the gifts you have given me for the building up of the body. Prepare me to be your messenger of Good News tomorrow as I teach from your Holy Word. I continually seek your anointing for this sacred trust.