But they went ahead anyway, because they had been expecting something unexpected from God. Later, we hear from Paul in his letter to the church at Corinth how this lesson of differing gifts grows into an understanding of the central importance of honoring and being empowered by our differences. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Some of these gifts seem more understandable than others today, but I believe God is still inspiring these gifts and more in people in our time. The variable is not in the presence or absence or the relative quality and force of the prophetic voices.
Prophets grow in stature as people respond to their message.
If their early attempts are ignored or spurned, their talent may wither away. It is seekers, then, who make prophets, and the initiative of any one of us in searching for and responding to the voice of contemporary prophets may mark the turning point in their growth and service. Here we expect any Seeker to step forward and do what I am doing today - to offer an understanding, from a personal perspective, of the Scripture lessons of the week. In the past 12 weeks we've had 9 different individuals and 1 group bring the Word. Some taught, some told stories, but all were heard by some of us.