Gifts to all

December 19, 2007

Ephesians 4:7-12

“But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.” (When it says, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fulfill all things.) The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ . . .”

Some months ago, I was charged with the duty of doing the prayer time at our Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina retreat for those of us who serve on the leadership ministry councils. I decided that I would make it a point to teach those gathered about two-way prayer. Two way—meaning you write whatever comes to your mind in the form of a prayer, spend some time breathing and clearing your mind and then you write whatever else comes into your mind being sure to test it. Is it honest, pure, loving and unselfish? If it passes on all counts you can be sure it is a message from God. In that case, you have effectively listened to God. I do not go through a day, if I can help it, without doing this practice. And, it is obvious by my mood, if I have not done it. That speaks to the effectiveness of the process and to the active involvement that God has in our lives if we will just let God be at work.

Our scripture today was being written to a group of people facing controversy. We will hear about the controversy in future devotionals. Nonetheless, the author seeks to communicate the message that God is actively at work in our lives if we will let God be. The references to ascending and descending in the scripture are really unclear and there are several conflicting perspectives on what was happening there. The references to the gifts create an incomplete list and other texts offer fuller perspective of what it means to have all of these gifts. Still, scholars are agreed that the message ultimately is the same—God his alive and at work among us!

What does this have to do with my CBFNC story and two-way prayer? As I grow in my faith and as I practice two-way prayer, I come to realize that it is a gift to me. It allows me to know God at deeper levels and to understand others with more compassion. I realize that two-way prayer is the tangible way for me to know that God is at work and that much of my life’s mission is wrapped up in helping people understand how to listen to God. What was shocking to me at that meeting was that the ministers to whom I was speaking (not all of them, mind you, but most) didn’t seem to comprehend the value of the practice. They were content to live life on their own terms. These who purport to speak a word from God every Sunday to the people of God were content NOT to take time to really listen in a practical sort of way. The failed to see that God could open all sorts of paths for them if they would just open themselves to embracing the gift they were being given.

The same could be said of the Ephesians. They have the opportunity to claim the gifts of apostleship, etc. and by living out those gifts to see God’s work in their lives in tangible ways.

How often are we like those ministers of CBFNC? How often do we not choose to be intentional about listening and following the guidance we receive?

Let this scripture be a challenge to us today—to stop, to listen, to claim the gifts God wants to give us and to celebrate that God is alive and at work among us if we can open ourselves to God. The latter is the most difficult challenge of all! But, I know that we are equal to the task! May God’s joy be yours this week! Amen.