Historic Presbyterian theology would declare that the Sovereign God, who is Lord of the world, offers a call for all of us. Some of us receive a call to some form of official ministry but all of us are invited to respond to God’s call in our lives. When Peter, Andrew, James, and John were called to be disciples, Jesus is reported to say “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”(Matthew 4:19). While it is true that at that moment we are told that they left their nets and followed him, it is also true that later they also returned to fishing. It was not leaving their job that was the issue. It was the purpose for which they exercised their gifts. Before they fished for a profit and afterwards they fished for people.
The question is how we hear God calling us in whatever profession or task we are engaged in. And, having heard God’s call in our lives, how do we stay in contact with the one who calls us. Since I am particularly focused on clergy, I will explore the meaning of call with respect to that profession but I believe it applies to all of our many professions and labors.
I am reminded of the small book by Brother Lawrence called the Practice of the Presence of God. If I remember the story correctly, Lawrence was of peasant stock and had become enamored with the life of the monks in a nearby monestary. He asked if he could join and they invited him in. Then when he was assigned his place in the monestary, he found himself in the kitchen washing pots and pans. At first he was quite distraught because he had dreamed of studying Scripture and being engaged in great acts of piety. What he discovered was that if we chose to wash his pots and pans for the glory of God, he was engaged in a great spiritual activity.
I want to explore the nature of that call in the next few days.
