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A Note from Pastor Tim
Some years ago, I was asked to participate in the installation service for a new pastor. Rather than have one speaker, the incoming pastor invited four people, pastors and elders, to meditate on four different aspects of being installed as the new pastor of a congregation. I was given the task of speaking about call. We tend to think of calls as something that happens to pastors or ‘super Christians.’ It doesn’t. God calls all of us to be a part of the church, to become his children and heirs. So here are some thoughts about being called.
First, our call does not occur out of nothing. As Paul puts it, “in view of the mercies of God, present yourself”. What we do, we do in response to God’s actions in the world and in our lives. Because God gives everything, we are called to give back all we are and have. The primary aspect of receiving a call is to remember the one who calls us. God does not need us, but wants us to be a part of his work in the world.
The second thought I would offer is that God’s call is first and foremost to be transformed. At the beginning of Romans, Paul reminds us just how desperate the human condition is. It’s tempting to think that we can somehow please God by our efforts or that somehow, because we claim to follow God, that we actually do. No, following God’s call should change us. It’s not about conforming to some set of rules or expectations. There are constant issues and pressures on us to be like the society around us. God’s plan is even more audacious – we are to become like Jesus. In other words, following God’s call should and will change us. In sharing God’s love, in embodying God’s love, we are going to be different the way Jesus was different.
As we’re being transformed, our call is to remember who we are. Paul was concerned about our egos getting in the way. For example, it can be easy to start thinking that we have the answers. Pastors can talk about going to seminary and being able to differentiate between Baxter, Barth, and Bultmann. Or we can explain Greek participles and the difference between the hiphal and piel in Hebrew. Or because we have management experience and have been an elder for years, we may be overly impressed with ourselves. Of course, God is profoundly unimpressed by all this. We need to remember that we have been given gifts so that we can serve others. We need to remember that it is God who works in and through us. We’re only effective when we rely on God’s grace and love. We are to have a clear understanding of who we are and whose we are. There is always a temptation to think that we’re doing God a favor when we serve in the church. However, the truth of the matter is it is God who favors us by calling us to serve.
Next, our call occurs or plays out in community. As Presbyterians, when want to examine pastors, we look to see if the person in question has a sense of personal call, but we also look to the larger community to see if others also sense that call. In other words, we think that a person’s call should be obvious to themselves and others. This is Paul’s point. There are several lists of spiritual gifts in the New Testament reminding us of the diverse callings that are needed for the community to function and grow. And as Paul points out so eloquently in I Corinthians 12, no one is called to do everything. No one. We are, however, all called to use our gifts for ministry. We also need to remember that others have been given gifts by the Holy Spirit that are different than ours. These gifts are just as needed as ours. Our congregation is to support everyone, giving them the room they need to exercise their gifts. We are all in this great endeavor together. We cannot bring in new families, new members, increase the budget, reduce or resolve conflict by ourselves. We are, however, called to remember God’s mercies, to be transformed, to recognize our giftings and our limits, and to do this all together in community. The goal is transformation; the purpose is that people will look at us and see Jesus. We need for all of us to do this together.
Finally, we need to understand that God’s call is not always easy or lucrative. It does, however, bring about a sense of peace that we know we’re serving where God wants us. My prayer for all of us is that we’ll respond to God’s call, and in doing so, find his love and grace sustains us with the peace that passes all understanding.
Peace,
Tim
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