In reading an article about Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, I was impressed by the scope of the vision and mission of “Pastor Rick.” Even though Saddleback Church is one of the largest in America, Pastor Rick’s message is that the power of faith is in the constant contact and support of small groups of individuals dedicated to seeking and listening to God/Jesus, discovering their unique gifts, and putting them into service.
Pastor Rick’s book, The Purpose Driven Life—What on Earth Am I Here For?, has sold over 15 million copies, with 90% of the proceeds donated to humanitarian aid.
I decided to get a copy of The Purpose Driven Life and find out what 15 million people were reading. I was reminded of my early roots in Christianity, and of “Comin’ to Jesus” in the East Stone Gap Methodist Church in rural Virginia, where I learned to pray with “born again” brothers and sisters, filled with the Holy Spirit and ignited with Christ. Wow! It was nothing like cerebral suburban Philadelphia.
In reading Pastor Rick’s book I was awed and inspired. And, I confess, while many run from the encounters with evangelical Christianity, I find a comfort and a passion in it that bypasses my mind and appeals to my heart. In the same way that a high Roman Catholic mass contains the symbolism and imagery that I find nowhere else, the grassroots Christianity touches me. Yes, I do have reactions to the gender exclusive language, and to the patriarchal structure. As I witness my reactions without falling into them (usually), this allows me to experience many things that fall outside of my comfort zone.
In reading this book, if you have never dipped in the waters of what might be called an evangelical or “born again Christian experience,” you might have struggle with the language and message. But remember that this is part of an education to discover what 15 million people are reading, thinking and believing about God and Jesus, so you want to be informed. Try not to fall into judgment as you read. Practice mindfulness and observe if you experience emotions or thoughts of any nature. Notice what makes you excited or angry, or what touches your heart. This is a good method for approaching anything new.
The Purpose Driven Life was designed for reading a chapter a day for 40 days, with questions to ponder and verses of scripture to remember. The Bible provides several models of transformation and change that transpire over 40 day time frames (such as Noah and the flood, Jesus in the wilderness.) I found this book to contain some of the most wonderful meditations on the nature of ministry that I have encountered. Chapter 30, “Shaped for Serving God”, begins:
“You were shaped to serve God. God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise…Each of us was uniquely designed, or “shaped,” to do certain things…You are the way you are because you were made for a specific ministry.”
How does God “shape you” for ministry? Whenever God gives us an assignment, he always equips us with what we need to accomplish it. This custom combination of capabilities is called your SHAPE:
Spiritual Gifts
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experience
Because God loves variety and he wants us to be special, no single gift is given to everyone. Also, no individual receives all the gifts. If you had them all, you would have no need of anyone else. That would defeat one of God’s purposes: to teach us to love and depend on each other.
Finally, let us always remember that our spiritual gifts were not given just for our own benefit, but also for the benefit of others— just as other people were given gifts for our benefit.