Living Stones: Many Gifts, One Spirit
What our team retreat reminded me about superpowers
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them... If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”
— 1 Corinthians 12:4, 26
Earlier this week, our Executive Leadership Team spent the day together offsite - just time away from the office to slow down, focus, and have some honest conversation about who we are, how we work, and where we’re headed.
Our Chaplain, Tommy, opened our day with a reflection from 1 Corinthians 12 - a reminder that every person in the body of Christ has been uniquely gifted. That if one part suffers, we all suffer. If one part is honored, we all share in that too.
It was a grounding way to begin.
Throughout the day, we leaned into that idea - especially as we did some work on our Top 5 Strengths (we used Clifton Strengths Assessment Tool). They’re the parts of us that help us do our best work (almost like a superpower) - and, if we’re not careful, the parts that can trip us up too. We talked about how those strengths play out in our roles, how they sometimes create friction, and how they can help us grow stronger as a team—not just in strategy, but in trust.
Since then, I’ve been thinking about our neighbors and their strengths and superpowers.
What if we viewed their strengths and superpowers (or gifts, as Paul puts it) the same way? Not as additions to the community—but as essential to the body of Christ.
Their joy, their honesty, their perspective, their creativity, their resilience… - these are gifts. Real, spiritual gifts that build up the whole body.
And the truth is:
When one of our neighbors struggles, we all feel it.
When one of our neighbors rejoices, we all get to celebrate.
We’re in this together…we’re the same body.
At our best, we don’t just serve our neighbors - we serve alongside them.
We don’t just build for them - we build with them.
That’s what it means to be the body of Christ.
Different gifts.
Same Spirit.
One purpose.
Reflection Question:
What would change if you treated the people around you - not as optional - but essential to the good work you’re doing?
Prayer:
God, thank You for making us different on purpose. For giving each of us gifts that matter. Help us to notice and honor those gifts - in our teams, our families, and especially in our neighbors.
When one part is hurting, let us not look away.
When one part rejoices, help us celebrate fully.
Make us one body, bound together in love.
Amen.