Friday 5, Gifts and talents

Sally writes :
Our Circuit (Methodist) is having a "Gifts and talents day" tomorrow- we have a minister visiting from another circuit who has modified the Myers Briggs personality test and added a few things of his own to run a day where we get to look at ourselves in the light of giftings and of the whole church. The idea is to encourage everyone with the news that there is room for you in the ministry of the church- and perhaps to discover where that ministry might be.....

It should be an interesting day, and one where I hope people will leave feeling encouraged and challenged...

So with gifts and talents in mind here is todays Friday 5:

1. Personality tests; love them or hate them? I LOVE them. I have taken countless tests at various points in my life and it's to the point now that I get gifts of things like a book titled "101 self tests" - at least I think I know my strengths and weaknesses fairly well.

2. Would you describe yourself as practical, creative, intellectual or a mixture? a mixture, leaning more to the practical and intellectual side of things. I wish I was more creative...

3. It is said that everyone has their 15 minutes of fame; have you had your yet? If so what was it, if not dream away what would you like it to be? Well, that kind of depends on how you define fame. I've always enjoyed being a big fish in a little pond, but never really had state-wide or national "fame" unless you count singing the national anthem with my choir before a nationally televised baseball game (Philadelphia Phillies). I don't think I want to be famous, even if for only 15 minutes.

4. If you were given a 2 year sabatical ( oh the dream of it) to create something would it be music, literature, art.....something completely different...share your dream with us... My partner, Trouble, and I have always talked about opening up an interfaith retreat center, somewhere in the mountains (not necessarily the Rockies though - somewhere a little more friendly to be in the outdoors year round, like say the Ouachita Mountains in Oklahoma/Arkansas). It would be a place for a variety of people to nurture themselves, their relationship with nature/God/the Universe and to foster their creativity. -sigh- Someday...

5. Describe a talent you would like to develop, but that seems completely beyond you. I wish I could draw/paint. I attempted quite a bit when I was in elementary school, and loved to do it but was never satisfied with the results. The teachers and people painting on public television make it look SO easy! I gave up eventually, and now just want to take a photography class...

Bonus question: Back to the church- what does every member ministry mean to you? Is it truly possible to encourage/ implement? I truly believe that every member has something to offer to the world, and to the faith community. For some people, it may be providing money, but for others money isn't possible but time and presence are. It's the epitomy of God's kin-dom that each of us contribute, in Christian terms, to the Body of Christ. 1 Cor 12 talks about the body being made up of many parts, each with their own purpose and all working together. Even if one seems weak, it is indispensable; if one suffers, all suffer together; if one rejoices, all rejoice together. The problem with trying to encourage it and implement it in our society is that it flies in the face of the individualism and competition that are continually taught and fostered. Can we really have it both ways??