Gifts for Everyone

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Who doesn’t enjoy getting a gift? Whether it is a birthday, Christmas, anniversary, or no special occasion at all, a gift always brings a smile. God’s gifts to us, his children, come in many forms. We are all gifted – “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7) This scripture refers to spiritual gifts. We are also gifted with abilities, talents, and physical attributes. The sheer number of combinations of all these characteristics makes each of us unique. And isn’t that a blessing? How sad would it be if we were all exactly the same? And then, of course, there is the ultimate gift God gave us, that of eternal life. And as if that wasn’t enough, He gave us amazing grace and the Holy Spirit to help us along our journey because He knew we would stumble.

The Stewardship topic for this month concerns the physical, spiritual, and emotional gifts that God gives each of us. When God “knits us together in our mother’s womb,” He mixes a unique DNA cocktail that becomes you or me. Sure, we can work hard at developing or enhancing certain attributes of our makeup. But if God didn’t gift you with musical abilities, becoming a professional singer or musician probably won’t happen. What God does do for each and every one of us is put us in a place or present opportunities where we can use the gifts He gave us.

If you’re not sure what gifts God has given you or what you could do with the gifts you know you have, there will be opportunities during October to figure that out. On Sunday, October 6 during Adult Forum time we will discuss gifts and how they might be applied to do God’s work in your life. This won’t be the time when we bring out the signup sheet and expect you to sign up for something that no one else wants to do. This time will focus more on how well do your gifts fit where you are and is there a better fit? This will also be the day that Stewardship packets will be given out and we will begin a week of discernment over where and how God is leading us as a congregation. We will look at what it takes in people and money to support that mission and where we all fit in to that mission.

On Sunday, October 13, we will gather again to talk about what we have learned about ourselves and our mission as a Lutheran congregation located in Southern Maryland. We will request that you turn in your completed Stewardship packets as an offering to God just as we offer our tithes and gifts as an act of worship every Sunday.

Dennis A., Stewardshipstewardship