TRISTAN SHERWIN

The Holy Spirit is not merely a conduit of gifts, like a postman delivering parcels.

The Spirit is the source of divine life within us, enabling us to be the vehicle of God’s expression into the world. And the emphasis of that vehicle is not about abilities or spectacle, but about being more human; I.e image bearers of the divine.

That’s not to say that the gifts aren’t important, but they are not primary.

Loving as Christ loved, being transformed into his likeness, bearing his humanity; this is the primary evidence.

This evidence isn’t an individual, private movement and manifestation either. It’s corporate and corporeal. It’s body, and can only ever be. It’s shown in a love for one another; our neighbour and our enemies.

The Gifts of the Spirit aren’t given for spectacle, but for the building up and the movement of the body of Christ.

If we’re are not moving towards loving neighbour and enemy, as Christ did, but we’re full of spectacle, then maybe we’ve took a wrong turn.

Maybe, the one who is truly “Baptised in the Spirit” is the one who is willing to pour out their life for other, not the one who can speak in tongues?

Further to that, maybe the gifts only ever function fully as we pour ourselves out for others?

The Spiritual Gifts are always about other, not me.

They’re about Christ’s body, not personal progression.

They’re about healing humanity.

They are ‘Charis-mata’; grace gifts. They are not God’s endorsement of individuals or congregations, nor trophies, nor medals of honour

The gifts of the Spirit were given to aid us in the praxis of the Spirit’s fruit. But the gifts aren’t the only or primary means of praxis.

There is also serving, visiting, comforting, listening, speaking for the voiceless, meeting needs, forgiving, justice…and so much more.

It’s not about being “gifted” in the Spirit, but living in the Spirit of Christ.

So when individuals complain that the gifts are not exercised enough in a church meeting, I wonder. Because the reality is that it isn’t about whether we exercise the gifts, but about us excercising the life of Christ amongst us.

Even as Pentecostals, shouldn’t we worry more about justice and mercy etc. than tongues etc?

Surely the absence of human flourishing is more of a marker for the absence of the Spirit’s work in our churches, over gifts?

I.e. Is the church Christ-like internally and externally?

Great, we speak in tongues, but do we love one another? What are we like with the marginalised? Do we play at empire building, or are we an example of Kingdom ethics?

To paraphrase Paul, “Great, so you can speak in tongues! But without love, we’re still a nuisance to humanity and not a blessing” (1 Cor 13:1)

Maybe, when someone says the Spirit doesn’t “operate” here anymore, I should reply, “have we stopped learning to love as God loves?”

Our division (and biased) for one movements of the Spirit over another is therefore unbalanced, and maybe unhealthy, as we can end up looking for spectacle instead of seeking to be Christ-like.

We always want a supernatural community, when we should equally be desiring a natural one.