“Come and See”
A few weeks ago, I preached a sermon on Jesus calling his first disciples, in particular the story of Philip and Nathanael in the Gospel of John. (John 1:43-51)
In that message, I alluded to my own call story — the times and places in my life when I was led to love, serve, and care for people, both inside and outside of the church, and especially the feelings and events that helped me to discern that God was calling me to serve as a pastor.
When I got home that day, my husband Dave said, “I thought you were going to tell your call story in your sermon.” To be sure, that story is important to me, but I wasn’t sure anyone else would be interested in my call story. And what I really wanted to share in that message was that each of you are also called into ministry, shaped by your own gifts, abilities, and context (where you are) and what tugs at your heart — your empathy, interests, and compassion. All people have gifts for ministry, given by the Holy Spirit, and they are as diverse as each of us.
My own faith and call story is complex, unfolding over many years, beginning at First Unitarian Church in Des Moines and lots of long conversations about spirituality, the meaning of life, and how we are to live in the world. Then, when I became a Christian in my early 30’s, I wanted to learn more about following Jesus, to grow in my understanding of Scripture, and to deepen my faith.
Internally, my sense of call has felt like following a breadcrumb trail, where each piece of bread has led me deeper into my relationship with God, and I wanted to share that bread with others* – “Look at that! Come and see! Let’s go!”
(*Side note: Feeling a need to “share bread with others” should have been a big clue but it took some time to realize I was called to be a pastor.)
We can also hear a call to ministry externally — from other people. Dr. Craig Nessan, professor at Wartburg Seminary, says we can think about a call to ministry more broadly, as “…the direction we receive from others about how we should be using our talents and experiences in service to others.”
People throughout my life, even in my high school youth group, have asked me to “do stuff” at church and share my gifts. For example, I joined small-group Bible studies and then was asked to become a small group facilitator. I've been asked to be on ministry teams and then to lead ministry teams. Maybe these “asks” were more about what the church needed at the time, and less about me, but they all led me to listen for God's voice and guidance.
I had always loved Bible studies and adult education classes to learn about Jesus and share in conversation with others. When I was invited to serve as a Director of Children and Family Ministries, I discovered a love for education and faith formation in children. I loved working in the congregation! So when a close friend from church who was in seminary gently suggested to me that I might consider going to seminary (she attended Wartburg Theological Seminary) to figure out what my feelings and gifts — my sense of call — might mean, I was ready to listen.
My own feelings inside and the people in my life were that voice of God, inviting me to “come and see” and to share the bread of God’s love and grace in Jesus with others. We are all called by God to love and serve each other in Jesus’ name, and each of us will do that in our own unique ways.
What gifts do you have to share?
What issues or people tug at your heart?
Has someone asked you, “Have you thought about ....?”
And, maybe, you might even feel God calling you to share God's love by serving in the church as a pastor or a deacon, to invite others to “come and see.”
