The art of writing has interesting parallels with vocal ministry. The gifts are closely related, but true ministry comes from a different source. Another difference is in how they are encouraged. Admiring comments for a secular writer can be an encouragement. However, the same directed at a minister* can be counterproductive. When a compliment is directed at a writer, it is to acknowledge that the writer has a gift for selecting and assembling words.
Encouragement directed at a minister should not be a compliment for well-chosen words. It should be an acknowledgment that the minister was well used. A minister should only take encouragement in that light. To do otherwise can build up the ego which can interfere with being a vessel for The Word.
Although the gift of writing and the gift of ministry can appear similar, they are not the same thing. A message that comes out of the depths of worship should be from The Spirit and not the individual. The effectiveness of a message comes from the source of the message, not from the skill in assembling it. There are times when a minister has the gift of word assembly, but it must not be trusted or consciously relied upon. Such a gift may be tapped by the divine, but it can only be used with God’s direct control.
And, just because someone appears to lack the ability to choose words, it does not mean that they will not be called by God to deliver a message. If such an ability is hidden, divine promptings can bring it out. If such an ability is absent, God can provide it.
For these reasons, those who feel inadequate to convey God’s Word, must be open to the possibility that, they too, may be asked to serve. Those who are confident in their speaking ability (justified or not), should be careful that what they hear inside them is truly a divine message and not from their own thoughts or desires.
When God gives you a message to share in Meeting for Worship, you may find yourself selecting words to convey that message. But the choice of these words must not be directed by any sense of good prose. They should be selected by recognizing which words are yours and which are truly authored by Him. He is the vine; we are the branches. Nutrition only flows through us. It comes from Him. He is the musician. We are the instrument. We cannot produce music on our own. We can rejoice in the small part we play, but we must remember that the composition, rendition, and artistry are His alone.
So, when you hear a message offered in the sacred silence, do not judge it by human standards, but let it settle on your soul. If it runs off like water on oil, let it pass and return to the silence. If it sinks in and deepens the silence, it is a sign that the message is authentic. We can and should encourage those who deliver authentic words. But as we must not blame a messenger for bad news, neither should we give credit to one that delivers good. Thanks should be given to anyone for faithful service, but praise should be reserved for our Father in Heaven.
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*When we say minister, we are not referring to someone in a paid position of a church or even someone recorded by Friends. We are referring to anyone who has been called by God to speak His Word to His assembled people.
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Charles “Chip” Thomas, Jr., (Marlborough Monthly Meeting, OYM-C) 3/2026
