God Given Gifts and Talents

Each year Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (ORLC) puts on a talent show and dessert auction fundraiser. This annual event consists of several talent acts followed by an "intermission" in which both live and silent dessert auctions take place.

The theme for this years talent show was "50 Years and Counting..." since this year marks the 50th anniversary of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church's existence. The downstairs was decked out in 50th streamers and golden table clothes and tinsel. I even created a backdrop of one of the early sketches artistic sketches of the church using an overhead projector.

Working on the backdrop

And it's finished 3 feet tall by 6 feet wide

The show itself consisted of a variety of acts with all ages. Some of the highlights included...

• 5-year-old Scott singing Amazing Grace, 
• The Coburn Family with "Our Redeemer Word Game" (if you've ever seen the Red Green Show its identical to the Possum Lodge Word Game but they simply changed the name.--it was funny!)
• 9-year-old Stephanie playing her guitar (one of my guitar students)
• Steven playing bagpipes
• The Roelfs family with "Wintertime Blues"
• Layne with "The Rules of the Church Potluck"

There were other funny skits, jokes and stories by several members too. I really enjoyed that there was a variety of ages and talents. It was a lot of fun.

Left: Scott singing Amazing Grace   Right: Layne with "Rules of the Church Potluck"

Coburn Family with the Our Redeemer Word Game

Roelf Family with "Wintertime Blues"

The homemade desserts were all donated and auctioned off. Items for the live auction averaged $20 but some items like the New York Cheescake sold for as much as $150. I personally bought $50 homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches. 

The youth showing off desserts during the live auction

The talent show led me to a personal devotion based on 1 Corinthians 12...
 "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines." (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

We are each given gifts and talents. It may not be as apparent like music, or speaking but perhaps its the gift  of making others laugh, the gift of patience (hats off the to the patient parents), or patience. God has given every believer at least one spiritual gift for doing His will in this world. And then His Holy Spirit nudges you to use it through a strong desire to serve Him in a way that seems to make sense for you.

Paul gives examples like serving, teaching, giving and leadership. So if different people all see a need, like helping the homeless in the community, He could motivate one to serve food at a shelter, another to teach at a job readiness class, another to give of their income to provide for the needed shelter and yet another to lead a church to get involved. Each person reacted to the same problem through the way God motivated them, using the gifts he blessed them with. Today, ask God to reveal to you the different ways you could serve Him. He has given you spiritual gifts and will show you when and where to use them.