I'M CALLED
In 1985 I attended a Synod Assembly in
Cincinnati. On arrival, each participant was given a button to wear, with
2 words on it, "I'M CALLED." Throughout the 2 day assembly a number of
speakers spoke about their callings: a farmer, a nurse, a teacher, a parent, a
pastor. The message was that everyone present has a calling or callings
from God. Being a disciple of Jesus means that Jesus has called us to
work for justice and peace in the various callings that are part of our
lives. Some callings are givens; like if you are a parent, then you have
the holy work or calling of parenting.
I have a style of calendar book that invites me to
reflect on my roles or callings each week. For me, that is spouse,
parent, son, brother, pastor, friend, neighbor, citizen. I view each of
these as callings from God, callings in which God empowers and directs me to
work for God's kingdom of peace or well-being. And I need the guidance of
the Holy Spirit and some wise people to assist me in working on the balance of
time and energy given to the various callings.
Sometimes callings do change. We may have a
sense of call that God wants us to do something new or different. That can be
exciting and frightening all at the same time.
It's good to have a close friend or small group of
friends to check this sense of call with. Sometimes doors don't open as
we had hoped they might and that can be frustrating. Sometimes there is a
time of waiting to see, to discern.
And sometimes people feel trapped into a kind of
work that doesn't really fit with their gifts and passions, but it is all they
can find at the time, and it is tiresome and/or stressful and doesn't seem like
a calling from God. Still, there may be relationships within that work that are
part of one's calling.
As people get older, there can also be a sense of
frustration of not being able to do callings that one used to be able to do.
Maybe there is something new to do or be. Disciples of Jesus of
whatever age have some callings that always remain: the call to learn,
the call to pray, the call to love.
I invite you to talk with fellow Christians about
your call, what you believe God is calling you to do and be.
A blessed Lent to you, Pastor
Tim.
