Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. Photo by Bob Kirchman
What the Church is Doing Right
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” -- Galatians 5: 22, 23
Now concerning spiritual gifts,
brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were led away
unto those dumb idols, howsoever ye might be led. Wherefore I make known unto you, that
no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema; and no man can
say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now they are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary: and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness; whereas our comely parts have no need: but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked; that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it; or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, divers kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? have all gifts of healings? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you.” – 1 Corinthians 12
You hear it all too often… the article, book or video
presentation starts with the premise: “The Church is doing it wrong.” What
follows is generally a short critique and a follow-up presentation of the
author’s “solution.” As one blogger puts it: “The
church is too modern or the church isn’t modern enough. The church has
accepted too much of the world’s culture or the church doesn’t engage the
culture enough. The church is too politically active or the church isn’t
politically active enough. The church doesn’t do this, or that or too much of
this thing or not enough of that thing and on and on and on. It’s in vogue to
criticize the church. There seems to be no quicker way of appearing
theologically sophisticated, spiritually in tune or culturally nuanced than to
point out all the ways the Church is doing things wrong.”
If only you will sell your big buildings and go live among
the poor in Philadelphia, one popular writer says, you will be “doing church
right.” The problem is that though the particular writer I speak of has a
wonderful ministry in the inner city, he also spends a fair amount of time
bashing the traditional church as a speaker at alternative events such as the “Wild
Goose Festival.” [1.] I will give someone credit for having a great ministry where
it is doing great things for the Kingdom of God, but when I hear that person
say that the rest of the church is essentially wrong, I tune them out. I would
even go further and challenge some of the people leveling criticism at the ‘established
church’ to “Come and see.” There is more to the story.
I was recently given a video by a Scandinavian evangelist who pretty quickly dismissed the institutional church. His history was good as he said the church had become a state institution, a cultural institution and a business. All of these criticisms are valid in that history shows us the instances where it has… but history also shows that despite man’s worst abuses, Reformation, Revival and Renewal broke forth, time and time again. When you invite me to do history, be informed that I want to read the extended version.
I was recently given a video by a Scandinavian evangelist who pretty quickly dismissed the institutional church. His history was good as he said the church had become a state institution, a cultural institution and a business. All of these criticisms are valid in that history shows us the instances where it has… but history also shows that despite man’s worst abuses, Reformation, Revival and Renewal broke forth, time and time again. When you invite me to do history, be informed that I want to read the extended version.
So, this particular evangelist went on to point out that he was
leading a “New Reformation, the LAST Reformation,” [2.][3.] to be specific, where the Saints would return to the directive of
the Book of Acts. Interestingly enough, he somewhat dismissed the Gospels and
the Old Testament. I think he missed 1 Corinthians 12 too. “The Holy Spirit first shows up in the Book of Acts…” Really?,
Consider Isaiah 11: “A shoot will come up from the
stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will
bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the
knowledge and fear of the Lord— and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge
by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;” It is a prophecy
about the coming Messiah, and it speaks clearly of what are known in the
traditional church as the Seven Gifts of the Spirit.
Kathy Gautcher writes: “I personally need to pray that these gifts
will be growing in me and I know I have to teach my people about these very
important gifts. Let's take a look at these gifts and see what they are all
about (as defined in Mighty in Spirit by Joseph Bagiackas).
Not an emotion, but an attitude of reverence and awe in
the presence of God. Prov.1:7, 8:13, Ex.20:20. It's the beginning of knowledge,
it causes us to hate evil and avoid sin.
This does not mean that we hide in the corner because we are
afraid of God, but that we are in awe as to who He is and who we are. God is
the one who created all things and then created man and women in his image. God
is awesome; nothing and no one else is awesome!
As we come to know and love the Lord, we come to know His greatness and His
mercy. We will turn away from sin not because of fear, but because we do not
want to offend the one who loves us. Fear of the Lord!Fortitude (Might, Strength.):
It gives us relentless vigor in the Lord. It helps us
overcome spiritual lukewarmness. Heb. 12:1-5, Eph 3:16.
This is the gift that will allow us to be bold in speaking
about Jesus and how He has touched our lives. We will have a boldness to speak
the truth and to live lives reflecting the truth. Fortitude will give us the
strength to endure when persecution comes our way. It will help us run the
race, keeping our focus on Jesus.
From the Latin - dutiful conduct, ernest compliance in
religion. Devotion and reverence to God. Deepens our awareness of God as
Father. It emphasizes the adoption status we have and the Spirit leads us to
cry out "Abba Father" (Rom 8:15)
Piety will remove any misconception we have of the Father.
We will no longer see the Father as a harsh judge, but as a loving,
compassionate, merciful Father.
Empowers us to make decisions in the Spirit in practical
situations. Helps to overcome obstacles in our spiritual life, to be more open
to this gift in others and receive counsel. It is essential to effective
leadership. We counsel others through God's leading. Prov. 12:1, 13:18. Mark
13:11.
This gift will help us make decisions in ways that in our
own humanness, we would not be able to make. Counsel allows for levels of
maturity. As we grow spirituality this gift will grow within us. Counsel is not
the gift of counselling others, although it can lead to that or help us when we
are mentoring others. Counsel is more of God counselling us, teaching us and
leading us closer to him.
Produces a deep trust and sureness about the Lord and the
truths of Christian revelation. It keeps our expectant faith from having
mismatched expectations. We should grow in the knowledge of faith and the
expectations will match the truth. Eph. 4:11-15, Col. 2:2-3.
How do we go about gaining knowledge? We have to not only
read and study Scripture, we are to devour it! God's Word is alive and we need
to have it burning in our heart. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is indeed
a gift to the church in a time when we need to hear the truth. Study the
Catechism, and you will gain knowledge. Take advantage of schooling or classes
that are offered. Go to days of renewal and share your faith walk with others.
We need to desire and seek knowledge to become knowledgeable.
The gift of the Spirit that enlightens our minds and
hearts with divine truth so that we can grasp the mysteries of the Lord.
Understanding enables us to see the Lord more deeply; Wisdom shows us what He
wants us to do. We need Wisdom with its judgements so that understanding can go
beyond itself and its insights and bear fruit in action. Col. 1:9-11. Eph.
1:9-10
Understanding draws us closer to God and this is a process
of seeing our sinfulness, and trying to purify ourselves of sin. This is a time
of becoming aware of even the smallest sin in our life and seeing how offensive
it is to God.
This gift helps us see that we are on a spiritual journey, a journey in which we are always growing and will often have growing pains. Understanding helps us not to run from growing pains but to embrace them, because it brings us into a deeper relationship with our Beloved.
Wisdom:
The spiritual state we arrive at when we become able to
make judgements about everything in our lives on the basis of a deep personal
union with the Lord in love. As is the case with all the gifts of the Spirit,
Wisdom cannot be attained through our own efforts. The Lord must give it to us.
He will give it if we ask. James 1:5, 1Cor.2:15-16.
Tradition tells us that wisdom is a form of love. Christian
spirituality sees wisdom as love which has been perfected and supernaturalized
by the full presence of the Spirit in the soul. Love can be seen as the
foundation of the gift of wisdom.
Seek out those who have wisdom and learn from them. Listen to them and be willing to accept their training and their correction. "He who walks with the wise will become wise" (Pr. 13:20).
Scripture tells us if we are to become wise we are to "put on love", the foundation of wisdom.
With a good understanding of the Isaiah gifts we can see that we need them to work in the power of the Holy Spirit when using the Charismatic gifts. For example, if we are praying for healing and deliverance, and we do not have the foundation of wisdom, knowledge, and fortitude, we will get no where fast. We have to know who God is, and have the strength to persevere in serving Him.
The Isaiah gifts abide or live in us, and they transform us. They are always with us whereas the Charismatic gifts are action gifts. We have the gifts but we call upon them for action, in a special need or circumstance, and in service for others.
We must have the mind of Christ when we call on the gift of prophecy. If we do not know God, we will not be a reliable person for this gift. We do this through prayer and spending time in God's presence, for how can God speak through someone if they do not know Him?
The Charismatic gift of wisdom is to know the mind of the Holy Spirit in such a way as to receive insight into how given knowledge may best be applied to a need arising in the body of Christ. Again we have to have the mind, the knowledge of our Creator to use this gift responsibly.
All of the Charismatic gifts will have more power and effect in our lives when we have asked God to strengthen and stir into flame the Isaiah gifts we received at confirmation. If we do not have a good foundation then when the first storm or trial comes along, we quit; we take our ball and go home. Scripture tells us we are to build our house on solid rock and the solid rock of the Charismatic gifts is the Isaiah gifts.
On a personal note, I was very much surprised in my study of the gifts to see how much the Isaiah gifts are abiding in me. I can see where I have grown in these gifts because of my daily Scripture reading, the schools I have attended, the people our Lord has brought into my life for me to journey with, the books He has lead me to read, and oh so many ways He has been teaching me over the past fourteen years. I also know that there is even more that He wants to teach me, and that I have to continue to be a willing and open vessel.
In Luke 11:9-10 Jesus says this to us.
"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and
you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks,
receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one knocks the door will be
opened."
Let's seek and ask for a deeper understanding of the gifts of Isaiah so we may use the Charismatic gifts with, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Last night, my Rwandan friend showed me another video… this one
showed how refugees from the many conflicts in Central Africa have arrived in
the United States. A little church in Waynesboro, Virginia is quietly helping
these immigrants, many of whom are Christians, organize churches in Virginia, North
Carolina, Pennsylvania and even as far away as Colorado. He says of what is
happening: “A New Great Awakening is taking shape.” And here, he’s more in tune
with the Book of Acts than most. If you remember the first believers were
scattered by world events from Jerusalem. They went into all corners of the
Roman Empire and “turned the world upside down.” Here in little old Waynesboro,
Virginia, a very ordinary seeming congregation is facilitating a mighty move of
the Spirit! But I'll bet you could visit on any given Sunday and never know it!
It seems to me that we need to begin with the Isaiah 11:2,3 Gifts
of the Spirit, which provide us the essential tools for becoming faithful
followers of Jesus Christ. These gifts guide us in knowing and revering God,
bringing Him into the decisions we make in our lives, so that we are now
prepared to engage in the business of Multiplying Faithful Followers of Jesus
Christ. Indeed the gifts of Corinthians 12, the Ministry Gifts, now come into
play, but also needed are the Fruits of the Spirit, found in Galatians. If we
do not find the Spirit throughout Holy Writ, might we be missing the full
beauty of what God has for us?
Perhaps we would do well to look afresh at the Bride of Christ.
She’s beautiful, but she’s sometimes naïve. How can we make her more pleasing
to her Heavenly Fiancée? Can we get better at going and making disciples? Yes!,
and the African brothers and sisters might just have some place in helping us
do so. Can we find new ways to engage the culture around us and participate in
its renewal? Again, a resounding yes! Can we create a family that ministers to
multiple generations?, Yes, and we can draw them together in the great work! Our
God is the very Author of Creativity. Let us Seek Him. But please, please, let
us humbly see every advance as from His hand… and avoid even the appearance of
prideful ‘ownership’ of the work of the Spirit, especially at the cost of
downgrading our fellow laborers.
The Mission of Hope Hospital in Santa Cruz, Bolivia was the vision of Cindy Thacker, a Christian nurse who's church supports her in providing free medical care to the city's poor. Photo by Bob Kirchman
Addressing Real Needs with Real Truth
The world can no longer be left to mere diplomats, politicians and business leaders. They have done the best they could, no doubt. But this is an age for spiritual heroes – a time for men and women to be heroic in their faith and in spiritual character and power. The greatest danger to the Christian church today is that of pitching the message too low.” – Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines
You will say: “The world is so messed up now, and the church reflects the world.” To that I would answer: “Seek those voices who seek to creatively address that.” They are there. Yes, there are legitimate problems to be solved. Seek out those who have already gone where you seek to go. They are waiting to guide you. Read The Hole in Our Gospel by World Vision President Richard Stearns. [4.] He is not speaking of any deficiency in the Gospel itself, rather in its application in the greater world we live in. Wes Stafford’s Too Small to Ignore, Why Children are the Next Big Thing [5.] is good as well. Closer to home, is your church involved in ministries such as the WARM Shelter, a ministry to the homeless, Mission of Hope, Bolivia [6.] or Love in the Name of Christ. As Henry Blackaby would say, “Look for God at work and join Him in that work.”
Do not allow yourself to be convinced that the Spirit of God is not active in the church. The work of the Spirit is in perfect tune with solid theology – that being Scripture. Listen to the people involved in these ministries and you will learn amazing stories of how God’s Spirit moves. In a world hungry for ‘alternative’ solutions, do not discount the very real possibility that the Gospel itself is the true alternative!
In Santa Cruz, Bolivia, a congregation in one of the city's poorest neighborhoods engages in joyous worship. Photo by Bob Kirchman
