"My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together." “When I hear people say politics and religion don't mix, I wonder what Bible they are reading.” (Archbishop Desmond Tutu)

"And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6.8

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Philippians 4.19

"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." Philippians 2.12



Friday, April 4, 2014

Hearing God's call




During this period in Lent, another thing that I have been encouraged to think about is the call of God to ministry and how I experienced this. I’ve had conversations with a number of friends who are in ministry and have started to read around the subject.

A number of things arose which I have found helpful and are worth looking at before I consider particular models - and, indeed - my own model of calling.

·       That the call must come from God is perhaps a given that we shouldn’t even need to articulate.

·       God has a passion for social justice and fairness.

·       God calls people to an endlessly varied and unique ministry, but is always related to the freeing, liberating or empowering of others.

·       We are all unworthy of the call.

·       A total dependence on God is required or we try to act in our own strength.

·       We all tend to feel totally inadequate.

·       What we are called to is a privilege.

·       Most people want to resist the call.

·       Whatever we are called to is God’s mission not our own project.

A few people, but a very few, talk about an epiphany like that of St. Paul: an instant undeniable revelatory experience of utter certainty. Paul’s was also a calling to a very specific ministry of evangelism and teaching and some people talk confidently about their certainty that God’s call was to a particular ministry.

Another talked of her call as being like that of Hosea. Hosea’s personal life was a mess and so, according to my friend was hers. She couldn’t believe God had called her initially. “Me? Really? You must be joking!”

A number of people felt like Samuel or Jeremiah in that they first heard the inklings of a call when they were too young and inexperienced and they talk about this in a way which suggests that a seed was planted for the future.

One person, who is a convert to Christianity, uses the example of Cyrus, a King from another nation and faith system. He finds those perspectives enhance his Christian faith but notes that others still see him as an outsider.

A couple of people with a strong sense of Social justice talk about the prophets as their models, particularly Nehemiah and Ezra and note that both were instrumental in changing their religious landscape by introducing religious reforms: future Bishops in the making?

For me, there’s a bit of the Jeremiah in the sense of initially feeling the call as a nudge of the not-quite-yet variety because like Jeremiah I didn’t feel ready but unlike Jeremiah, I didn’t answer that first nudge. There’s also a sense in which the call of the prophets to action resonates with me, but in the end I think I’m a Jonah. When push comes to shove, running away and being busy doing other things seemed a good strategy.

How about you?

4 comments:

  1. When I initially perceived a call not only was I too young, but it seemed an impossibility in that Greek and Hebrew were requirements of the Course, and I am not a linguist (I had just got thrown out of German at School and failed the French end of term exam with 1%). I didn't see how it would ever be possible. Yet, at the right time (aged 30) I found that the language requirements were optional, and the Course was assessment and not examinations. The "call" came early, but it took some years to be enacted.

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  2. · That the call must come from God is perhaps a given that we shouldn’t even need to articulate.
    Indeed but Little old ladies make good mouthpieces...

    · God has a passion for social justice and fairness.
    Agreed.

    · God calls people to an endlessly varied but are always related to the freeing, liberating or empowering of others.
    I'm confident I want to say yes here, but is there a word missing?

    · We are all unworthy of the call.
    No - There is a difference between humility and self-derogation. God deems all creation worthy or why else bother. To judge as unworthy is a human prerogative and discrimination.

    · A total dependence on God is required or we try to act in our own strength.
    Nice idea - but he hasn't yet offered to pay the mortgage or fuel bills.
    · We all tend to feel totally inadequate.

    That's a bit depressing? I am sure I'm not quite finished yet but am sure that the work in progress has some redeeming qualities and purpose.

    · What we are called to is a privilege.
    ..and bloody torture.

    · Most people want to resist the call.
    Don't they just, but not as much as the people surrounding them.

    · Whatever we are called to is God’s mission not our own project.
    Damn straight.

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  3. Neal, I've added in the missing words.

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  4. My experience has been a lot of Samuel and Timothy, being young and/or green, but seeing what needs to be done and oft-times uncomfortable speaking up/out in the presence of the older, ostensibly wiser, people of the Church.

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