“Seamless” Book Review by Joseph Seger

Few things can bring animated conversation to the church like one which highlights spiritual gifts (charismata). Do we really get supernatural powers? Does the pastor have to have all of these? What about tongues? 

In Seamless, Chase Stancle offers us an accessible book steeped in years of practice. In writing this, he deftly reframes the conversation about spiritual gifts around the congregation’s love undergirding our unity as believers.

Rethinking Spiritual Gifts: Not Superpowers, but Tools for Unity

Everywhere today, the culture of superheroes has left its imprint. Many imagine what it would be like to be Storm, Wolverine, or some other person endowed with a super power. Unfortunately, these fantasies of solo-heroic feats have leaked into the church. “The idea of possessing so much superhuman power that I would be able to save the world on my own is more than a fantasy. It’s narcissistic. Yet, to varying degrees, this is how Christians all over the Western world discuss spiritual gifts.” Chase reminds us clearly throughout the book that these manifestations are not for our glory, but for God’s and the upbuilding of the church.

Biblical Foundations for the Holy Spirit’s Gifts in the Church

Chase grounds his words in the firm foundation of scripture. The first half of the book does a deep dive into and through 1 Corinthians while pulling in the relevant texts of Genesis, John, 1 John, Ephesians, and more. “The truth Paul was conveying is not that we have been assigned a special power to make us more than human but that our individual access to the power of the Holy Spirit has been tapered so that none of us get too big for our britches.” God gives as he discerns and the power of the Holy Spirit is shared freely and evenly for our interdependence and the church’s benefit.

This shift in the conversation is sorely needed as we often talk about spiritual gifts as things to discover and use, but we rarely say, “Your Spiritual gift will only work fully if you are in loving fellowship with other believers.” Far more often we marvel at the ‘super-Christians’ who exhibit a few of these gifts rather than realize the full import of Paul’s words that these are for all who follow Jesus.

Discovering Your Role: Heart, Mind, Hands, and Soul Gifts Explained

Chase brilliantly categorizes the stated spiritual gifts in four accessible and relatable categories – heart, mind, hands, and soul. The heart gifts are so named because ‘the five fold ministry (from Ephesians 4:11-13) is the engine that ensures that the body of Christ has all it needs to carry on the work of Christ until he returns.” The hand gifts give real presence and encouragement throughout the body. The mind gifts keep deep thinking at the forefront of leadership. The soul gifts are those unique signs inspiring awe throughout the body. Though some may want to quibble on what goes where, these groupings bring clarity for the church.

From our WME lens, I really appreciated Chase’s approach to evangelism. “The evangelist announces good news so that ‘the receiver will acknowledge the Father’s love, grace, and mercy, turn from a patterned lifestyle of sin, embrace the authority of the Son in their life, receive power from the Holy Spirit to live that out, and encourage others in the same.” Chase offers a holistic view of how this gift manifests itself. “The gift of evangelism is more than preaching. It is a unique burden to seek out those who are relationally far from God and share with them how they can be brought close to him.”

Ultimately, I loved this book for how it has allowed me to share these core truths with my congregation. It has been a great book study and guide for a larger conversation on how The Holy Spirit’s presence amongst the congregation should be seen in blessings beyond the walls we gather within. “If we are to show the world we are Christ’s disciples, we must love one another, and that unconditional love will give context to our work.”

Seamless drives us back to the love of Christ and the love of those in the church. “The body of Christ won’t be fully operational until we all can say, “I, personally, cannot function to my fullest without my sister or brother.” We need one another, and God isn’t glorified unless we embrace that interdependence. Jesus places a high value on our love and unity in his teaching. Paul went to great lengths to press the issue of preserving our fellowship.”

Chase calls the church back to these simple and elusive truths – love and unity. May we be one, as Jesus prayed during his high priestly prayer and like the seamless garment he wore on his crucifixion day. May the gifts the Holy Spirit sends bring us to this unity in love.

World Methodist Evangelism will be hosting a book study on Seamless. This will be a live event with the author on September 24th at 9 AM United States Central Time / 10 AM United States Eastern Time. Join us on Zoom by clicking here. You can purchase the book here.