A pastor writes:

We are having our final session tonight on discerning, discovering and developing our gifts, which I believe are better termed as ministry gifts.

This term emphasises their purpose – to bless others and glorify God by revealing the presence of Jesus (Matt 25:31-40) – with our personal growth coming in along the way.

I believe there are few of these gifts that may only be used during worship, perhaps tongues or interpretation, though private prayer in tongues can aid in atuning to the spiritual or emotional origins of whatever may be about to erupt into a crisis.

Our ministry has to relate to where people are, rather than where we would like them to be, so as we mix in the workaday world, we may continue Jesus’ ministry as the scattered body just as much as when we come together to focus on him in our worship times or in structured, formal, ‘official’ ministry.

I believe this is what makes ministry so much fun.

I respond:

And the talk I give to clergy conferences (of all denominations) on this topic which issues in glazed-over expressions – http://jmm.org.au/articles/8109.htm

I guess my lot is to go through life holding some important minority opinions 🙁

An example: we clergy exhort our people to ‘use their gifts’ and every week I hear someone tell me ‘The blighters won’t!’ I ask how often the complaining clergy are in one-to-one training with these blighters, and it’s not often. About 70% of a pastor’s work with individuals may be in non-confidential situations, about 20% could be confidential, but with the parishioner’s permission an ‘observer/trainee’ could be present; the other 10% ought to be kept free for confidential confessional matters. Without training in counseling, hospital visiting etc. etc. why blame the blighters for not wanting to be thrown into the deep end?

Then begins the litany of excuses: but they’re employed at their ‘secular’ vocations during the time the pastor’s doing all this’. Oh, where there’s a will there’s a way…

You can guess the other seven common rationalizations…

Shalom! Rowland Croucher