Whose Gifted Idea Was This?

Central Assembly of God Church in Superior, Wisconsin read the Bible aloud for 72 consecutive hours over the new year. As someone who desires to draw closer to God through His word, the story was inspiring to me.

I also wondered...whose gifted idea was this?

1. If we could measure the faith (Romans 12:3) of the congregation, what would it look like? Fewer than 66 people took part in the reading, which meant that some readers had to deliver the verbal equivalent of 2-3 books of the Bible. What did it take to stand and read aloud at, say, 3:37 a.m. when the guy in the front row may have been not only snoring but stretched out across the pew?
2. How beautifully did the body parts function together (Romans 12:4) for this event? The whole community was invited, and people served as hosts throughout the nights and days. Who answered the phones? Were there refreshments? Did people offer prayer as needed? How about the men and women who served hospitality and temple-keeping with things like making sure the microphones worked, the speakers had water, the heat/lights were on and the rest rooms were stocked with essentials? This was not a reader-only show. Those with a heart to truly serve others (Romans 12:7) were in high demand, such as the man who served as a greeter on the midnight shift for seven hours straight. God bless him!
3. Did these body parts get along (Romans 12:5) throughout the event? How many times did someone snap at someone else because they were tired of sitting, talking, reading, listening, going without snacks, showing up 3 days in a row for church, etc.? Did people get delirious after a few chapters and start reading out of order? Did someone read someone else's passages? Or, was everyone able to stay knit together as they were fashioned and keep flesh out of the process? (Me--I'm prone to crankiness after 9pm...)
4. I'm thinking of different Bible passages, and I'm wondering whether or not the gift of the reader impacted the delivery of the passage. Gifts of prophesy, teaching and exhortation (Romans 12:6-8) are speaking gifts, and lend themselves well to an assignment like this (IF the gifted ones can stay focused!).
5. I think of how many opportunities to smile, praise, sit/stand in awe, and weep there were when it was all complete. Praise the Lord!
6. The events that look the simplest can sometimes be the most difficult to plan and implement. I'm sure that those who have a heart for giving financially and who are merciful toward people in need were hard at work behind the scenes in the planning stages, working shoulder to shoulder with the ones who have leadership gifts (Romans 12:8)

So, whose gifted idea was it? Among people, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that someone had a heart to hear what the Creator had to say about sharing His word, and followed through on the plan (Proverbs 16:9). It's inspiring to see such a powerful display of spiritual gifts in action!