February 21, 2016

How would you define generosity? Would you define it only in monetary terms? Or would you include others areas of giving, like time, talents, and gifts? To have a generous heart is to be willing to give – in many areas of your life, in many different expressions of your life – and not just in monetary terms.

If you did not know already, I preach at a lot of funerals. One of the consistent themes I hear from families is that the deceased was “generous”. What I have determined they mean is, well, they mean a lot of different things. Some meant that the person would help out anyone in the family who needed something – including giving them money or being there to help them if they were moving. Other times generous meant they would help out the poor, give money to the homeless who asked, donated money to the church and other charities. Other times they meant that someone was generous with their time – if someone needed someone to talk to they were there, or they went to visit shut-ins or other family who might be in a nursing home.

You see, when people talk about generosity, they see the definition of the word in a wide range of meanings. And that is the beauty of someone who has the gift of generosity. Showing generosity can manifest itself in so many ways. But for the person who has the gift of generosity, they have a heart to always be generous. And this is why it is a gift. We all have moments when we are generous, but we pick and choose our places and times. Having a heart of generosity, having the gift of generosity means living to be generous. I believe this is one of the gifts we can live into – that everyone can develop a heart of generosity.

Pastor Dave

February 20, 2016

If someone has the gift of speaking in tongues, then for it to be a clear message from G-d, there has to be someone who has the gift of interpreting tongues — the ability to translate the tongues speaking and communicate it back to others.

As a life-long Lutheran, I have never encountered someone speaking in tongues. It is a world of faith that is foreign to me. And yet, for many in the Christian church, it is just as legitimate as a “Christian Snake Handler”, and for some it is just as mysterious. But this is the kind of G-d we have – a G-d who will not stop at using any resource, any gift, any creature to tell people of G-d’s love for all.

Members of the charismatic movement believe that the nine spiritual gifts that Paul speaks about in I Corinthians 12 are just as present among Christians of the 21st century as they were in apostolic times. Other Christians, like Lutherans, believe that some of those “extraordinary gifts” such as speaking in tongues were given by the Holy Spirit to the first century church in apostolic times — but they have since disappeared from the church. Such differences of opinion have frequently caused tensions to arise among Christians – some stating that if the gift of “speaking in tongues” is not present in a church then it is not a legitimate expression of the Holy Spirit.
Why can’t we leave some things to the work of G-d and the mysterious element of the Holy Spirit rather than accuse each other of being more faithful, or more “spirit led”.

G-d uses many expressions to get the message of Jesus Christ across to all people – the same message is not heard by all people the same way. That is the beauty of the church. There are all kinds of services, styles of worship, and opportunities to share gifts that anyone can find a church community that fits their needs. Someone who has the gift of “interpreting tongues” would not be able to use that gift in my church – and that is a waste of a gift. When we die and go to heaven, then we will see in a mirror clearly – for now it is a smoky mirror and a cloudy understanding of what G-d is doing in the world and where we are all being led. But, wasting our gifts is wasting our gifts, period. If you feel your gifts are not being utilized, then find a church that embraces those gifts.

Pastor Dave