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2007-07-03 issue:

Not just for preachers

Creating a culture of call for all God’s children

by David Alleman

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You have been called to follow Christ. Just as Jesus called disciples and the Spirit called Paul at Damascus, everyone hearing the gospel has a call to follow and serve Jesus. Most Christians agree with these two sentences. In the Bible there are many ordinary uses of the word “call,” such as to request to come or to give someone a name. A special use of the word refers to the Spirit’s or God’s encouraging us to follow Jesus.

Here are examples: “For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:7). “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours” (1 Corinthians 1:2). “Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble” (2 Peter 1:10).

We are all called to become Christ’s followers. Our call includes doing as Jesus’ disciples did, whether holding the baskets to collect the leftovers after the feeding of the 5,000, going to the village for food while Jesus talks to a woman of Samaria or going out with the 72 to spread the gospel. As Paul was called to take the gospel to the Gentiles, our call also includes making tents while taking the gospel to all people.

Two experiences prompted my interest in the uses of the word call. During a time of leadership transition in our small church, the conference minister asked me if I had a call to serve the church. After thinking about the question, I said, “I have not identified within myself a leading of the Spirit to the pulpit ministry.” He asked no further questions about my call to serve God, even though I was wondering how I could best serve God in the church. Later, a young man was asked to begin pastoral leadership in our congregation. We were discussing some issue, and he said his views should have greater weight because he had been “called.” A friend later reminded me that Paul’s lists of qualification for ministry do not include having a call.

Historical shifts of the past century (status and difficulties of church workers, a shift away from use of the lot, perhaps opening the pastorate to women and probably other factors) have affected drawing young people to church work. Mennonite Church USA has begun a program to address our concern over the lack of candidates for pastoral office. The “Culture of Call” initiative encourages people with pastoral and administrative skills to consider church ministry, usually on a full-time basis. This initiative encourages congregations to speak to young people about developing their gifts and serving the church. Almost always, people experiencing a call in this sense are already Christians. What is the origin of the use of the word call to mean a special leading of the Spirit to service and leadership in the church?

In some of the reports of Jesus inviting the first disciples to follow him the Gospel writers use the word call. In the salutation of two letters Paul refers to himself as being called to be an apostle: “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1). “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” (1 Corinthians 1:1).

Are these references to Paul’s Damascus Road experience? Was that a conversion experience, a vocation change invitation or both? Prior to his call, was he a follower of Christ? In discussing the office of elder/bishop/overseer and deacons, Paul does not list call as one of the qualifications. These servants of the church certainly had a call that led to their salvation. One passage includes both the word call and speaks of church offices: “I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1).

The writer does not use the word call when speaking of God’s gift of prophets, teachers, pastors and evangelists to the church. Is the pattern of use of the word call in the New Testament reflected in our use today?

 The probable origin of the use of the word call for full-time church workers is the development of a two-tiered spirituality after the establishment of the state church under Constantine. According to this tradition, Jesus had a special spiritual vocation/calling as Messiah. Since it was his vocation to suffer and die, the events of his life are not a norm or example for us to follow.

Some Christians, like Jesus, have a “spiritual” rather than a temporal or secular vocation and receive a special “call.” These are the people who become priests and nuns. The laity did not need to follow Christ closely in spirituality, direction for Christian service or service in the military. Priests were expected to be pacifists, but lay Christians were not. At the time of the Reformation, some claimed that only the ordained were called and part of the church. Taking issue with this separation of life into secular and spiritual, Anabaptists sought to recover the sense of following Christ in all our lives. They insisted that those called were to follow Christ in churchly activities, work and all our daily lives.*

The word call identifies the leading of the Spirit, the thinking of the individual and counseling by other Christians toward individuals considering full-time work in the church, especially the pastorate. This term generally is not used for those considering other careers or occupations. Does this focus place unnecessary stresses both on those considering church work and on those considering secular jobs? For those with gifts and skills suitable for the pastorate or full-time church work, there is pressure to expect a high intensity and memorable experience (probably datable) of the Spirit’s leading to full-time church work. On the other hand, devout followers of Christ seeking the leading of the Spirit for work direction or job change who desire to serve God in their work and in their nonvocational time may wonder how God leads them differently.

Does using the impetus of the concept of call accomplish in a scripturally sound way the important job of encouraging individuals into missionary or pastoral positions? If we used call in the scriptural sense for people entering “secular” work, would they better understanding that all work is a way of serving Christ?

How do we find ways of encouraging and aiding people making decisions about their life’s work? Initial career choice or later changes are milestones at which Christians should support one another. Finding a job in which to honor and glorify God requires the Spirit’s leading within us as well. To cooperate with the Spirit’s leading and to work with the Spirit in aiding all Christians in career choice, we should affirm the following:

1. Serving the church is an important responsibility of all Christians.

2. Serving Christ in one’s vocation is part of every Christian’s calling.

3. Encouraging fellow Christians to make the best use of their gifts is an important task for the people of God.

4. Challenging jobs such as the full-time pastorate or outreach in difficult areas may require encouragement from others, and extra prayer and courage by the one making the choice.

God’s call comes to all people. Those who respond are called to salvation and a life of serving God. Let those who answer God’s call live all their life in response to the call.

*Mennonite polity for ministerial leadership mostly uses call in the specific/secondary sense and defines call only in that sense in the glossary. The Mennonite Encyclopedia article “Ministers, Call of” does not specifically consider the biblical use of the word call.

David Alleman is a member of Weavers Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, Va.

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