ACE Quiz

1. Which of the following is not a Gift of the Holy Spirit?
A) Wisdom
B) Understanding
C) Frankincense
D) Fear of the Lord

2. Which of the following is not a Fruit of the Holy Spirit?
A) Charity
B) Generosity
C) Kindness
D) Cynicism


This Sunday’s lectionary readings include the miracle at Cana in the Gospel of John and also the enumeration of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in I Corinthians. While the changing of water into wine at Cana is familiar to us, the listing of the Gifts of the Spirit are less known. What are the gifts of the Spirit, how many of them are there, and how do they relate to the Fruits of the Spirit?

There are four places in the epistles where Gifts of the Spirit are mentioned or listed and there are up to twenty-three separate gifts among the four lists. These gifts are always mentioned in the context of service to the whole church and not for one’s personal use or gain. At the time of the Pentecostal Revival in the Church they were much discussed and a matter of dispute whether the gifts were given for all time or only for the time of the early Church. Speaking in tongues is the most obvious of these charisms, or gifts, in dispute among modern Christians.

In contrast, the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Catholic and Anglican tradition refer to the list of spiritual gifts enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. These gifts are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. These are gifts that all Christians are to pray for that their lives might be more holy or sanctified.

The Fruits of the Spirit: Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,
Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-Control,
and Chastity are the obvious signs of the Gifts at work in our lives. These fruits are the virtues we all wish for in our lives, or do we? They are not the traits we are educated to value. Drive, Ambition, Self-Sufficiency, Endurance, Leadership, Competitiveness, Excellence, Self-Confidence and even Self-Promotion are the traits and slogans of professional school in business and other fields including education and --to a degree – ministry. The latter are the traits needed in the arena or the jungle, on the playing field or job market or any place where there is scarcity and a limited number of winners and a necessity for losers.

The Kingdom of God, the world of the Gospel, is a place where there need not be victors and vanquished, losers for there to be winners, prey and predator, or Ins and Outs. The Kingdom of God within us and among us is a place where we in live in love not strife, Agape not Polemos. The Gifts or the Spirit are our stepping stones on the Way and the Fruits of the Spirit are the blocks of which we build a temple for our Lord to dwell. Are you ready to pray for them to be ever more a part of your life?

As a new priest, as your new priest, I pledge to pray for them everyday for the next week. Heck, I’ll pray for them for the next month! I will also be praying for them as a dad, a husband, a neighbor, a coworker, a brother, a son-in-law and as a regular guy living in LA. Maybe in a week I’ll notice a difference, maybe it will take longer for anybody to see any results. But, I will keep praying for these gifts and their fruits in my life, in yours, and in our church. Pray for me and for all of us Christians in Christ Church, laity and clergy, that our lives will bear much fruit.

God Bless You

Bill+


Answers C & D