Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Cor 12:4-7)
Dear Friends,
This summer at Epiphany, we are blessed by the privilege of witnessing the Baptisms of several beautiful babies. Through the sacrament of Holy Baptism, we are united with Christ, sharing in his life, death, and resurrection (aka the “paschal mystery”). As such, God claims us as his beloved children with whom he is well pleased. We affirm in our Baptism the divine reality that we are gifts created and given by God in Christ to love and serve each other and all creation. Let that soak in for a minute: You are a gift from God!
Because we are united to Christ in our Baptism, we also share in his eternal priesthood. This means we are all called to be ministers of love, reconciliation, and peace in our communities and the world, proclaiming by word and example the Good News of God in Christ. You don’t need to go to seminary and be ordained to be a priest! Every single Baptized Christian is called to a common priestly life where we seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves. This is the meaning of discipleship.
Yet we can only do this with God’s help! God doesn’t just us send out to be faithful ministers and disciples of Christ without first giving us the necessary tools we need to do the work of the Church. Indeed, not only are we gifts from God, but we each receive gifts from the Holy Spirit in our Baptism that enable us to be the Body of Christ in the world. Did you know that after the water of Baptism was poured on your head, you also received the “seven-fold gifts of the Spirit?” Listen for this prayer on Sunday after Hillary pours water on the head of baby Dominic:
Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon these your servants the forgiveness of sin, and have raised them to the new life of grace. Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give them an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 308)
Every single person receives these spiritual gifts through the pure, free grace of God! These spiritual gifts may manifest themselves in thousands of ways, including service, leadership, artistry, administration, prayer, teaching, pastoral care, hospitality, giving, encouragement, speaking, writing, building, or music.
It takes all of these diverse gifts working together for the healthy functioning of the Church: “For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us” (Rom 12:4-6). The bottom line: you are a gift from God, and you have unique and essential God-given gifts!
If someone gives you a gift, what is the first thing you do? You open it to find out what it is! Our response to God’s claiming us as his beloved and giving us spiritual gifts in our Baptism is to discover what our God-given spiritual gifts are and how they fit in the context of the Church so that we may use our gifts most effectively for God’s mission–and let our light shine!
Toward this goal, I invite you to attend one of three workshops designed to help you discern and identify your spiritual gifts so that together we can build Epiphany as a loving, life-giving and liberating presence on this busy corner in northern Virginia. Come and find your fit in the life of Epiphany and the Body of Christ! We are offering the workshop at three different times:
- Thursday, June 27th, 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.
- Saturday, June 29th, 10 a.m. until noon
- Sunday, July 14th, 11:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m.
Please sign up for one of these workshops! Contact me for more information at gcrichton@vts.org or (434) 825-1530.
In addition, please see the cool galaxy posters in the back of the worship space where children and adults are encouraged to reflect on your spiritual gifts. In the spirit of this summer’s Vacation Bible School theme “Let Your Light Shine,” we want you to name how your light shines through your God-given spiritual gifts!
I am so excited to work with you all on this process of discovering your spiritual gifts so that can together we can grow as faithful disciples of Christ at Epiphany.
Blessings,
Gwynn