I look forward to Thursdays when I can publish thoughts on my spiritual journey and hear the thoughts of others on a weekly theme topic. It has become a space for an encouraging and fortifying community to come together. We welcome anyone who would like to join us!
For the next month and a half, we are writing about the Spiritual Journey Thursday community's One Little Words. We'd love for you to join us! If you have a OLW and would like us all to write about it, let me know in the comments below or on Twitter (@muellerholly), and I will add you to our calendar.
This week we are writing about Margaret Simon's word, REACH.
About once a year, I teach a six to seven week class at my church on spiritual gifts. I use a curriculum called Network in which participants learn about what spiritual gifts are, why we have them, how to identify them, and how to use them. Participants take a series of assessments to help them identify their gifts, personal styles, and passions so they can serve with joy and purpose. I took the class myself years ago, and I loved it so much, I wanted to help pass on those discoveries. This year's class started last Sunday, and I could already tell that I will be leading a group who is hungry to find out more about ways they can serve in God's Kingdom. We also laughed and talked a lot, which is good sign!
This brings us to Margaret Simon's One Little Word, REACH. The Network defines spiritual gifts this way: Spiritual gifts are special abilities given by the Holy Spirit and distributed to EVERY believer according to God's design and grace for the common good of the body of Christ. Isn't that wonderful?! The Holy Spirit REACHed and REACHes down to give these special abilities to believers so they can REACH up to God and to REACH out to others. They are not to benefit us, but to benefit others - to build up other believers, serve one another, and empower believers to expand the kingdom of God. Wow! Isn't that exciting?! I love how God celebrates diversity in his distribution of gifts, also, while still being the one and only Lord.
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works in all of them in all men." - 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6
God has equipped all believers to worship Him more joyfully, serve others with passion and love, and help expand His Kingdom. He has equipped all of us to REACH! That is good news!
FEBRUARY 12th: Justin Stygles's OLW, LOOK
FEBRUARY 19th: Greg Armamentos's OLW, DIVE
FEBRUARY 26th: Ramona Behnke's OLW, STRETCH
Let me know if you'd like for us to write about YOUR OLW in 2015, and I'll add you to the schedule. I'm already sad that we're nearing the end of our OLWs!
How fun that we both talked about reaching up and reaching out in our posts. I want to be in your class! Thanks for your joyful reminder, " He has equipped all of us to REACH!"
ReplyDeleteRamona - don't forget to link up! I didn't know you had posted. I will go look. :-) I would love for you to be in my class! :-)
DeleteI want to use my word in this way, to reach out and up. You should do an online class.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting idea, Margaret!
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