Adjusting to God's Call

Today is day 16 of a 31 day blogging challenge with my friend and colleague reverendmommy, Robin Fitzgerald.We will be using a daily word prompt from katemotaung.com.

 

I have been serving in my current appointment as Associate Director of Ministerial Services for the Western North Carolina Conference for a little over 2 years.  I really enjoy my work with candidates for ministry.  At the same time I continue to miss serving in the local church.   I miss preaching, teaching, and being intimately involved in people’s life.  At the same time I love helping people articulate their call to ministry, equipping mentors to do their work, and supporting clergy as they transition from seminary to ministry.

 

I have spent time during this appointment exploring my own call to ministry.  For me, much of God's call was tied to the local church and serving outside the local challenged me to question.  As I reflected on God’s call, I realized that from the earliest moments in my life God called me to be a wife and a mom.  That call is foundational for how I make decisions and live my life.  Later in life, God called me to help God’s people growth in their faith and to lead the church in discipleship.  In talking with my leadership coach one day, I was able to find beautiful words to describe my call in its current context. “I am called to help give birth to God’s call in others.”  I realized that God’s call was the same.  It was the context that had changed.  In fact inside or outside the church, I have always been passionate about helping people discover and use their gifts for ministry.  I had to adjust the articulation of my call.

During October, I have the privilege of visiting with our seminary students.  I enjoy hearing their stories, their passions, their dreams, and their challenges as they respond to God’s call.  I am reminded that the unfolding of God’s call is constant.  God's call is the the same, but a person's understanding is not a once and for all kind-of thing.  God's call is ongoing and developing throughout life.   For now, God has called me to do this work.  I have no doubt that God will call me back to the church one day.  For today, I am content "giving birth to God's call in others."