2018-1 - Called to Serve

I am sure you have similar memories as mine of playing with friends after school. When I was growing up I was fortunate enough to live in a small semi-rural town in middle England where I could play outside in the afternoon and evening.

We lived in a house at the end of a cul-de-sac in an area full of young families most having only one car which was usually parked in the driveway, which gave me and my friends the dead-end road to play on.

After school we normally met and chose 2 sides for a game of street soccer (or football as we called it). We would play until it started to get dark or until we had the dreaded "call" for dinner.

Each time a parent would call their child in for dinner you would see a blatant attempt to ignore the call or pleas such as "just one more goal, please”, “just another 10 minutes please”, “can I come in when (“insert friends name here”) comes in?”, requests that recognized the call but were just delaying in the inevitable.

Fast forward a few decades and I was still too busy to heed a call. I was busy working or just trying to fill all my spare time with leisure such as going to the gym, walking, running, going to the cinema, or playing pickleball. 

This means I was also too busy when God tried to call me. Not a call to stop what I was doing but a call to take a moment to listen. 

Over time I had become accustomed to hearing God's call to serve, but I also thought I was an expert in ignoring it or providing excuses as to why I could not do what was asked.  But our God is very persistent, and the call is not likely to go away. 

In seminary I studied “calling” and how it happens through the process of Kenosis, from the Greek word for emptiness,which is the "self-emptying" of my will to become entirely receptive to a “divine will”. This is similar in all religions, sometimes referred to as the will of God or Allah, or the way of Brahman, Nirvana, the Tao (pronounced Dao), Dharma, Cosmos or the Almighty.

When called I am emptied, either totally or partially, which provides a void that is filled by the Holy Spirit to guide and direct my decisions, words and actions.

This kenosis is not something that happens once. It is happening all the time, I am constantly being emptied of self and filled with the Holy Spirit.This process transforms my thoughts and how I understand what I am called to do.

Recently I was called to serve on a Diocese wide team to nominate candidates to be our new Bishop.

First there was the email invite asking people to consider applying. This was ignored but then my Rector asked if I felt called to help and said it would provide an invaluable experience of working on a project at the Diocesan level.

This time I thought and prayed about it and the more I prayed the more I felt I should apply, which I did.

After a few weeks I had forgotten all about the application and then received a telephone call saying my application had been accepted and could I attend a weekend retreat to start the Bishop Nominating Committee process (more on that later).

I said “Yes” and soon after felt an emptying and trepidation over what I had just agreed to. When it dawned on me what I would be part of, the filling with the Holy Spirit took over and I was both elated and exhilarated.

In talking to others about “Calling” I am not the only person who had this experience, and I can now look back and wonder how I could have possibly thought of rejecting the invitation.

As it says in Matthew 20:1-16 we are called to work in God's vineyard, some in the beginning of the day, some at the 3^rd hour, the 6^th, 9^th or the 11^th hour. But as Christians we are all being called to serve in some way.

So, if you are feeling God calling in some way what can you do?.

Well, first stop and take time to listen. All the important things you are doing that you think cannot be delayed right now will actually wait 30 minutes, an hour or a whole day.

Then go somewhere quiet, pray, listen and enter into a conversation with God about what you are being called to do. It may be helping others as a volunteer, it may be spending more time studying scripture, it may be more involvement in the church, it may even just be as simple as talking to God more often through prayer.

Whatever it is, our God is not one who can easily be ignored or put off by worldly excuses, so just listen, say “yes” and be ready to embark on a wonderful and rewarding journey.