Kelsi Vanada

Dear Friends,

Today’s reading from Romans 12:6-13 is one of the places in the Epistles that includes language about different gifts among members of the body of Christ.

I had remembered this as the “spiritual gifts” section. In the Evangelical tradition in which I was raised, we talked a lot about spiritual gifts, as separate from our “other” talents and skills.

I remember feeling a lot of anxiety about understanding what my spiritual gifts were, or if they were good enough.

I was a K-8 teacher, but I never felt comfortable teaching others about Jesus in the sense of evangelism. I liked to host people in my home, but was I hosting in a way that glorified God enough to qualify as the spiritual gift of hospitality?  

As I look at the passage today, though, I notice that it simply says, “We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.” Just…gifts. Gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit that make us unique, and which bless others just by our being us and doing what we do well.

The Episcopal tradition is helping me see my faith more holistically, rather than compartmentalized. I think that’s what lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi means to me: the way we pray is the way we believe is the way we live.

It’s all one—our gifts are our gifts, and our spiritual life is our life. Thanks be to God.

Peace,

—Kelsi