Got a Call?

 Dear Family in Faith,

“Got a Call?”  …One of my claims to fame that maybe not one other living soul knows about (because the people who would have known have all died) is that back in the late ‘90’s a couple of PCUSA staff persons asked me to write the script for a video being created by the Office of Theological Education.  I didn’t even get credit in the credits (so, even if you have an old VHS VCR hooked up to a television, and you borrowed the video from my office shelf, you could watch the video and still not know it was my script!).  In those days, the soundtrack was cheezy ‘80’s electronic music and the theme centered around an old “cordless” telephone ringing—calling PCUSA congregations to “action” in support of the Theological Education Fund—a holdover project from the reunion of the Presbyterian Church in 1984). 

The intent was to create a two-pronged promotion—help churches support a denomination-wide funding project for our Presbyterian seminaries; and invite youth and young adults to consider a “call to ministry.”  “Got a call?”  …get it?  [There might also be other reasons the video didn’t have wide acknowledgement!  …but I digress.] 

We wanted everyone to know that all of us have a “Call” to ministry.  For some it’s answered in the form of considering ministry of Word and Sacraments, or ministry of Ruling Elder or Deacon.  Or for congregations, the “call” to support theological education for ministers and church leaders for sustaining the Church’s ministry and witness far into the future.  “…Got a call?”  Yes.  Yes you do!  We believe that God is calling ALL of us to respond to God’s witness in Jesus Christ! 

Liturgically, the journey that begins with the birth of Jesus, is also encapsulated in the journey of the Magi who were called and followed a star to “see” Jesus; is also made manifest in Jesus’ call that is answered in his baptism and temptation; is continued in his calling followers and believers in Galilee, and even reaches out of the stories of scripture to “grab” all of us and drag us into stories of ministry, too.  What kind of ministry?  That’s what the next few Sundays in the lectionary help to “flesh out.”  We’ve been seeing who Jesus is.  Now we’re going to begin to hear about what Jesus is calling US to do. 

Wait!  Isn’t enough that we see who Jesus is?  …and believe in him?  Do we really have to be called to do something more?  What’s wrong with just stopping at the confession of faith, “Jesus is Lord”—my personal Lord and Savior? 

In short …nothing’s “wrong” with that.  It’s just that once we’re “in the room with Jesus” …things happen.  The definition of what it means to “follow Jesus” isn’t like Magnum P.I. or the F.B.I. following someone, recording their movements, and filing a report.  As “followers” of Jesus, we’re not like the Peanuts gang who “follow” Charlie Brown as he carries the poor little Christmas tree away from rehearsal after everyone thought he did a lousy job—to see what happens.  Rather, to “follow Jesus” means following enough to see Charlie Brown “give up” on decorating, but then the gang suddenly sees their place in “fixing up the little tree” until it becomes a spectacular tree. 

I believe that once we’ve found ourselves in the presence of Jesus Christ—things change in how we see and understand the world.  And we become people pressed to fix the stuff that we see is less than stellar.  That we begin to do the same kinds of things that we see Jesus do—even if it’s not exactly the same way.  We feed people, we participate in healing people, we want to help people having a bad day or an awful week.  In other words, Jesus invites us to respond to the world like he does.  And “watching him do it,” is supposed to be the means to our own introduction to, “doing it,” too! 

This Sunday, not only our scripture readings but our election of new church officers invite us to see and confirm God’s call to real people in the world (our people) who are being called by God to particular purposes in the work of Jesus and the work and leadership of our congregation.  In part, these are the people who see God’s work in the world, and will be calling our congregation to address it—much like Jesus who sees God’s work in the world and invites others to join him in ministry.  This shouldn’t be a moment where we say, “Oh good.  Here are the people who are called to do God’s work”—while we sit back and watch.  Rather, this is the moment where we entrust called leaders, to pay attention to where Jesus is calling us all together, to be working in ministry, for the sake of God’s kingdom.  These aren’t people we’re giving jobs to.  These are people we hope and pray will help point us to OUR “CALL” to respond to Jesus. 

Hear that?  …that’s your phone ringing !  YOU’VE got a call! 

Thank you, Jesus.  We’re all trying to follow.  “See you” in Church.