In a brochure about an AIDS hospice, one of the residents who had recently died was quoted as having said, "The hardest thing about having AIDS is asking for help, but this house is nice for that sort of thing." A dying man's childlike affirmation of a place to seek and receive help describes one of the deepest needs we bring to our lives in the church. Like the AIDS victim, we've always found that asking for help is difficult. We want to be independent, to stand on our own, to not be indebted to anyone.

But life humbles us. Chance and change across the years force us to realize we're not nearly self-sufficient. None of us has all the answers, resources, or discernment to live a life as fulfilling and faithful as the life for which we pray.

One of the gifts of the Spirit promised at our …