Spiritual gifts and the Giver

Lutheran, The, Jun 2004 by Leberman, Amber

Discovering our gifts helps us learn 'God really knows who we are'

Neal R. Boese, evangelism consultant for the Southern Ohio Synod, leads spiritual gifts workshops for synods and congregations, and is the author of Spiritual Gifts: The Power That Drives You and the Congregation (Fairway Press, 1995; 800-241-4056). he also co-authored the ELCA's spiritual gifts inventory (see page 17).

The Lutheran recently talked to Boese about spiritual gifts.

The Lutheran: What are some misconceptions about spiritual gifts?

Boese was skeptical when he first heard about spiritual gifts. At the time, he was a parish pastor studying congregations with sustained growth.

Boese: For me, spiritual gifts [meant] speaking in tongues. The charismatic movement was hitting the church at that moment in a way that was in many respects very negative. The assumption was the Spirit only worked through speaking in tongues and this was the way God spoke to congregations. That was very different from our theology.

During his study, a member of the congregation Boese served unexpectedly discovered his spiritual gift to "feel the needs of others and react, " Boese says. As a result, the congregational council studied the Pentecost story to determine whether that member 's gift was an anomaly.

Boese: I began to see spiritual gifts from the perspective that everyone baptized has them. It doesn't mean that if you aren't baptized you aren't loved by Jesus. The gifts are given to those whom Jesus calls to reach out to the rest of his children to let them know how much he loves them. It's power that is given-not so those people are uniquely in a relationship with Jesus [but so] they are being used by Jesus in a particular way.

What would you say to someone who thinks they don't have a spiritual gift?

Boese: You do have one. Let's find out what it is. I tell pastors and lay leaders: "What you have to do is help people come to grips with what their gift is." It's not a question of whether you have it. It's a question of "what is it?"

It's up to the churches to follow up on it. A person can fill out an inventory but that doesn't necessarily mean it's right. The inventory may not be good, or the way someone interprets a question may not be [useful]. It's just a tool. When you see someone with a particular leaning in a certain area, encourage them to [pursue that] and watch what happens.

What is the importance of the faith community in regard to spiritual gifts?

Boese: They're the responsible body. The congregation is in place to help people discover what their gift is. The gift is to be used within the community to further the work of Jesus and to further the understanding that Jesus loves people. What you want to do in the congregation is move people into the area of church life where their gifts lead.

Often a church council consists of people who say, "Yeah, I'll do it" as opposed to people who have certain gifts that are needed on the council, or people who have certain gifts in long-term planning or in singing or in education. We don't move people in on the basis of their gifts. We move people in on the basis of what they think they can best do or are most interested in. Which may-or may not-be far different from their gift. The community has the responsibility for helping a person come to grips with that.

What do our spiritual gifts tell us about the Spirit?

Boese: First of all, they help us understand that God really knows who we are. [Spiritual] gifts help people realize: "I've got a gift, I've got a power." If you give me something and I take it in my hands and hold it, then I know you gave it to me. We don't see Jesus standing in front of us, handing us something. So we have to believe that he's giving us something. When you start using a gift, you see what has been given to you. You see it in action.

[Spiritual] gifts open the door to an understanding of the presence of Jesus, but on top of that what [spiritual] gifts do is open up to you a path of service. It's not just a time/talents sheet. It's the movement of God, the movement of the Spirit that is leading you into an area of service that, combined with other people's, creates a congregation and creates an avenue to reach out to other people.

Leberman is The Lutheran's assistant editor/Web designer.