D&D: Discover and Develop

You’re invited to join the rest of us all this week — here’s the prayer on tags people put on backpacks and work bags in worship this past weekend:

God of all knowledge and wisdom,

we pray your blessing on these students,

young and old, as they begin a new year.

Help them to discover

and develop the gifts

you have given them.

As they grow in knowledge,

help them also to grow in kindness and compassion,

learning respect for themselves and others.

Strengthen them with encouragement, support, and love. 

in Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Right now, let’s pay attention to this sentence: Help them to discover and develop the gifts you have given them.

No kidding: you and I have been given gifts.

Jesus told a great story about us being entrusted with gifts in Matthew 25. 

St. Paul wrote about us having gifts within us in 2nd Timothy 1:6.

We sing a song about our having “many gifts” from “one Spirit, one Lord.”

This ongoing graduate school we’re in, called Everyday Life, gives us a great chance to discover and develop our gifts.

May this prayer be true today:

Help (us) to discover

and develop the gifts

you have given (us).