Grace-Gifts for the Common Good

“We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.” — Romans 12:6

Every congregation is a garden of grace-gifts. Teaching, mercy, encouragement, leadership, generosity, all are seeds God plants for the flourishing of the whole community. Theologian Marva Dawn reminds us these are not duties we grudgingly perform but “grace-gifts,” meaning: expressions of divine joy. When the Spirit distributes gifts, God is not assigning chores; God is sharing delight.

The trouble is, many of us downplay our gifts. We think others are more qualified or assume God uses only the visibly gifted. But shepherding in the way of Christ depends on everyone offering what they have, however small it seems. When we withhold our gifts, the body suffers; when we release them, joy overflows.

A healthy church names and celebrates its gifts. It creates space for new ones to emerge, believing the Spirit’s supply never runs out. Grace grows when it’s shared. In that sense, ministry is never something pastors “do” for a congregation, it’s what the congregation becomes together. Each member’s grace-filled offer completes the picture of God’s love in that place.

At Hilldale, every act of teaching, every meal prepared, every song sung, every prayer whispered contributes to a larger symphony of grace. It’s not about applause; it’s about participation. As I have said a time or two, we are made holy not in isolation but in mutual giving and receiving.

You are gifted. The question is not whether but how those gifts might bless others right now. Trust that the Spirit who planted them will show you where they fit in the body’s life. So, how might you intentionally share that grace-gift in community this week?

Pastor Jeff