Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Calling and Vocation ...
This is very possible an act of procrastination in the highest form! However, I feel I should be doing something useful while procrastinating rather than just simply staring into space!
During the previous week I have had some fairly interesting conversations with people. In most of these conversations, I have discussed my discernment journey so far and it got me thinking about what I have overall discerned in the long time I have been "officially" discerning God's call on my life. So in a pre-preparation to my portfolio for presbytery, here are some thoughts that I have scribbled down on a note pad in regards to calling and vocation....
To me a calling to ministry does not equate to a calling to the specified ministries. Each person is called to a different way of serving God, "There are many ways of serving God, but it is the same God who is served".
So calling to ministry is recognising that God has called you to serve Him in a particular way.
Out of my thoughts on calling, come my thoughts on 'vocation', which is related. God has created each person with gifts and talents oriented toward specific purposes and a way of life. Vocation is a life calling so to speak. It is more than occupation or job or work. It is about recognising where your gifts and skills and passions are best used.
Personally I have explored various areas of my life where I could have felt a possible calling to:
-Teaching
-Politics
-Law
-Social Work
-Development and Aid
However my exploration and discernment has always led me back to the same area: the church, serving others, serving God. I have never really felt completely "whole" or "right" in work other than the church, and I feel "right" when I am in a context that involves being part of a christian community and equipping people in their faith. Since being a Mission Worker I have felt a greater sense of this.
My discernment on calling has led me to the point where I believe that God is calling me to the servant ministry of the word within the Uniting Church. What led me to this conclusion is from deep prayer and consideration of what my sense of calling meant. As part of this discernment I reflected on all three specified ministries: Minister of the Word, Deacon, and Pastor. In my exploration of Ministry of Pastor I have discovered that it is not what I am called to as it is a placement and location specific ministry and at the conclusion of a placement, the person would cease to be a Pastor. I feel that God is calling me to a life long ministry, not one that is temporary such as Pastor.
I also discerned and prayed about whether God was calling me to ministry of Deacon. While I share the passions and mission focused mind that Deacons do (and recognise that there is a lot of overlap in the duties of MoW and Deacons), I feel that my calling is to the gathered community of Christ. Hence why I believe God is calling me to the Ministry of the Word.
I first felt God has called me to this Ministry in Easter/Holy Week 2010. Before then I has discerned a call to the specified/ordained ministry but was still praying and discerning as to which it was. I do believe that the Holy Week retreat I went on and my time at the CCA led me to discern God's call on my life to MoW.
Since then I have continued to pray, journal, discern, and reflect my thoughts with others (both from within the church and outside of it).
In my own personal time I have reflected on what I believe I could bring to the Specified Ministry of the Word in the way of gifts and skills:
LITURGICAL
-Variety of Worship styles
-Passion for leading worship and worship experiences
-Holistic approach to worship and liturgy
-enjoys experimenting with different forms of liturgy
-Passionate about preaching the Gospel
-Has received good, constructive feedback on sermons and services
-I am always learning and building on my knowledge
LEADERSHIP
-Developed knowledge of the regulations, manual for meetings, and basis of union
-Pastoral and prayerful approach to meetings
-Developed Admin skills
-Ability to establish rapport in meeting and business settings
SACRAMENTAL
-Understanding of the two sacraments (baptism and Eucharist)
-Passion for the sharing of the sacraments and discussing their meaning
ECUMENICAL
-First hand experience of Ecumenism and the workings of an ecumenical organisation
-On going passion for church unity and energy for the wider ecumenical movement
.... So this has been a taste of my discernment up to now and an idea of what I will be putting into my portfolio to Presbytery.
During the previous week I have had some fairly interesting conversations with people. In most of these conversations, I have discussed my discernment journey so far and it got me thinking about what I have overall discerned in the long time I have been "officially" discerning God's call on my life. So in a pre-preparation to my portfolio for presbytery, here are some thoughts that I have scribbled down on a note pad in regards to calling and vocation....
To me a calling to ministry does not equate to a calling to the specified ministries. Each person is called to a different way of serving God, "There are many ways of serving God, but it is the same God who is served".
So calling to ministry is recognising that God has called you to serve Him in a particular way.
Out of my thoughts on calling, come my thoughts on 'vocation', which is related. God has created each person with gifts and talents oriented toward specific purposes and a way of life. Vocation is a life calling so to speak. It is more than occupation or job or work. It is about recognising where your gifts and skills and passions are best used.
Personally I have explored various areas of my life where I could have felt a possible calling to:
-Teaching
-Politics
-Law
-Social Work
-Development and Aid
However my exploration and discernment has always led me back to the same area: the church, serving others, serving God. I have never really felt completely "whole" or "right" in work other than the church, and I feel "right" when I am in a context that involves being part of a christian community and equipping people in their faith. Since being a Mission Worker I have felt a greater sense of this.
My discernment on calling has led me to the point where I believe that God is calling me to the servant ministry of the word within the Uniting Church. What led me to this conclusion is from deep prayer and consideration of what my sense of calling meant. As part of this discernment I reflected on all three specified ministries: Minister of the Word, Deacon, and Pastor. In my exploration of Ministry of Pastor I have discovered that it is not what I am called to as it is a placement and location specific ministry and at the conclusion of a placement, the person would cease to be a Pastor. I feel that God is calling me to a life long ministry, not one that is temporary such as Pastor.
I also discerned and prayed about whether God was calling me to ministry of Deacon. While I share the passions and mission focused mind that Deacons do (and recognise that there is a lot of overlap in the duties of MoW and Deacons), I feel that my calling is to the gathered community of Christ. Hence why I believe God is calling me to the Ministry of the Word.
I first felt God has called me to this Ministry in Easter/Holy Week 2010. Before then I has discerned a call to the specified/ordained ministry but was still praying and discerning as to which it was. I do believe that the Holy Week retreat I went on and my time at the CCA led me to discern God's call on my life to MoW.
Since then I have continued to pray, journal, discern, and reflect my thoughts with others (both from within the church and outside of it).
In my own personal time I have reflected on what I believe I could bring to the Specified Ministry of the Word in the way of gifts and skills:
LITURGICAL
-Variety of Worship styles
-Passion for leading worship and worship experiences
-Holistic approach to worship and liturgy
-enjoys experimenting with different forms of liturgy
-Passionate about preaching the Gospel
-Has received good, constructive feedback on sermons and services
-I am always learning and building on my knowledge
LEADERSHIP
-Developed knowledge of the regulations, manual for meetings, and basis of union
-Pastoral and prayerful approach to meetings
-Developed Admin skills
-Ability to establish rapport in meeting and business settings
SACRAMENTAL
-Understanding of the two sacraments (baptism and Eucharist)
-Passion for the sharing of the sacraments and discussing their meaning
ECUMENICAL
-First hand experience of Ecumenism and the workings of an ecumenical organisation
-On going passion for church unity and energy for the wider ecumenical movement
.... So this has been a taste of my discernment up to now and an idea of what I will be putting into my portfolio to Presbytery.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
After so long ...
I cannot believe how long it has been since I have made actual time to sit down and write something here. It escapes me why I am doing it now - with three assignments due this week, but that could possibly be the art of procrastination (or my break) working.
I have just come back from attending an initiative of the Queensland Synod called "Stretching Faith" which was a gathering of young adults with the aim of reflecting theologically on issues of the church and life. We had 3 very good speakers and I will take a short time describing what each spoke about.
Alistair Macrae spoke about bible reading and study and how to get the most out of it. He shared 3 Questions people should apply when reading the bible:
Ben Myers presented us with a multimedia talk on the theme Monstrous Grace in Popular Culture. We looked at a piece of fiction (Flannery O'Connor), two pieces of music (Tom Waits), and a film (Magnolia). Each piece of Pop Culture presented us with a different image of grace. Grace was not this pretty thing willingly given to everyone in happy streams of rainbows. The grace of God was shown as this liberating and freeing forced compared to what each piece of work presented us. In Flannery O'Connor's "Revelation", the main character (who is a pious and church going woman) has a revelation in a doctors office and all the people in life she despises ("white trash" and "niggers") are entering heaven before her and taking up seats of honour. In the Tom Waits songs we are presented with quite grotesque images of life - but that is how life really is. In one song, Down there By the Train, it speaks of how God's love and grace is available to everyone (including some of the worst criminals in history). In Magnolia, a quote by Jill Stauffer brilliantly sums it up - "To get the point of Magnolia is to admit that freedom is not our highest value".
Freedom is to be bound to one thing - that is the right thing.
Grace means neither that human beings can or should do something, nor that they can or should do nothing. Grace means that God does something ~ Karl Barth (Epistle to the Romans)
Michelle Cook led us through the basis of union. We looked at what we thing of when we hear the word 'church' and what we think a church is and what the purpose of church is. We looked at the Basis of Union para. 3-4 and did the same "swedish" method with it. The conversation that followed was vigorating - especially to see that the basis of union speaks of the whole church ... not just the Uniting Church in itself.
The BoU offers us a critique of how we interact as church .... that our faith journey is not an individualistic one but a communal journey together in the world.
I have just come back from attending an initiative of the Queensland Synod called "Stretching Faith" which was a gathering of young adults with the aim of reflecting theologically on issues of the church and life. We had 3 very good speakers and I will take a short time describing what each spoke about.
Alistair Macrae spoke about bible reading and study and how to get the most out of it. He shared 3 Questions people should apply when reading the bible:
- What us the behind of the text? [What has come before this]
- What is the within of the text? [what is it saying]
- What is the infront of in the text? [what is the dimension/wisdom/connection of the texts context and ours?]
- ! against parts in the text you said 'yes' to or agree with
- ? again parts you question, or made you think
- X again parts you didn't like or said 'no' to
Ben Myers presented us with a multimedia talk on the theme Monstrous Grace in Popular Culture. We looked at a piece of fiction (Flannery O'Connor), two pieces of music (Tom Waits), and a film (Magnolia). Each piece of Pop Culture presented us with a different image of grace. Grace was not this pretty thing willingly given to everyone in happy streams of rainbows. The grace of God was shown as this liberating and freeing forced compared to what each piece of work presented us. In Flannery O'Connor's "Revelation", the main character (who is a pious and church going woman) has a revelation in a doctors office and all the people in life she despises ("white trash" and "niggers") are entering heaven before her and taking up seats of honour. In the Tom Waits songs we are presented with quite grotesque images of life - but that is how life really is. In one song, Down there By the Train, it speaks of how God's love and grace is available to everyone (including some of the worst criminals in history). In Magnolia, a quote by Jill Stauffer brilliantly sums it up - "To get the point of Magnolia is to admit that freedom is not our highest value".
Freedom is to be bound to one thing - that is the right thing.
Grace means neither that human beings can or should do something, nor that they can or should do nothing. Grace means that God does something ~ Karl Barth (Epistle to the Romans)
Michelle Cook led us through the basis of union. We looked at what we thing of when we hear the word 'church' and what we think a church is and what the purpose of church is. We looked at the Basis of Union para. 3-4 and did the same "swedish" method with it. The conversation that followed was vigorating - especially to see that the basis of union speaks of the whole church ... not just the Uniting Church in itself.
The BoU offers us a critique of how we interact as church .... that our faith journey is not an individualistic one but a communal journey together in the world.
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