Honouring Your Call - Part I
/It has been impressed on me recently how important it is that we honour the calls that God has placed on us. Part of this came out of preaching a series on Esther who was called to be queen and intervene “for such a time as this” for her people.
For far too long the church has had a narrow view of calling. Particularly in denominations like mine where resources for education are dwindling and the minister is deemed essential, those called to an area of ministry besides Word & Sacrament can be misunderstood or even seen as bucking the system. We can struggle to have words or ways to talk about and affirm other callings as also important and God-given.
I have had the same conversation several times with wonderful people - no, I do not feel my call is to ordained ministry, yes I do feel called but to educational and programmatic ministry. If I’m not careful I start to question my journey of the past 20+ years and where God has led and used me. It’s not that I’m closed to my call shifting, but too often the assumption seems to be that gifts for ministry equal clergy. Too often in an effort to preserve the church as we know it, round people are convinced to try to fit in a square hole.
In a variety of settings and in a variety of ways I have had to defend my call, a call often affirmed outside of official channels. As I have spent time serving the church I have learned and gained self-understanding of what I am best at and what God is using me to do. I have also watched and listened to many other lay people in a similar boat - people with clear gifts and callings who are misunderstood and not as valued for what they are doing and bringing to the body of Christ.
This coming Sunday is Christ the King Sunday, and one of the lectionary readings is from Colossians 1 about how Jesus is the king and head of the church, holding all things together, and how all things were made for and by Him. Everyone in the church has a distinct role and gifting. We are each a different part of the body with a different function and all the pieces need to be honoured and to work together for the body to be healthy and whole (see 1 Corinthians 12).
As we celebrate that Christ is King we should celebrate that as His followers we are all called to do different things, and that because of our obedience to Christ we all play a part in bringing about His kingdom. The trick is figuring out for what each of us is uniquely called and gifted by Christ. How can we do this for ourselves and others? Here are some starting places:
Pray as you read scriptures like the ones above and listen for God’s direction. Pray with others, letting them know that you are trying to figure this out. Ask others to pray for clarity about this for you, and pray for others also trying to discern their calling.
Reflect deeply on your life journey so far and the experiences you’ve had. When have you naturally taken on something, led something, served in a way that people appreciated, or received feedback about how you helped? What difficult times have you walked through and learned from that have strengthened and prepared you?
Try doing a spiritual gift inventory. Many exist, including one on this website. Share what you find out and even perhaps ask someone to fill it out thinking of what they know of you. Reflect on the results with someone you trust. What do you learn?
Consider your strengths and personality traits, the people you feel most comfortable with and who also stretch you, and what these may say about the best place for you to live out your calling. We may be called to serve where we are or to be willing to go somewhere new.
Look up as much as you can about different ways of serving that seem interesting to you. Talk to people who do these things and find out what is involved and less obvious about them. This could be about being a Sunday school teacher, youth group leader, missionary, soup kitchen coordinator, church administrator, worship leader, powerpoint creator or any other facet of ministry. For some roles that become a paid vocation, education and other requirements may be needed.
Listen carefully to those voices around you who are trying to direct your path. It can be challenging to sort out those who are able to have a wide perspective and hear your heart from those who are advising you out of their own love of tradition or their anxiety about the future of the church.
Most important, be sure that just as you hope to be affirmed and helped to discern your calling, that you do the same for others. Celebrate the gifts God has given you and the opportunities you have received to serve and grow and be shaped into a more and more effective servant of Christ.
The journey is life-long and we will shift and hone what we are doing over time. But what won’t change is Jesus’ love for us and desire to grow us more and more into who we were created to be.