tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16201378.post4373977823523265231..comments2023-12-28T18:17:11.191-05:00Comments on Gruntled Center: How Many Callings Can I Have?Gruntledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377809238377382438noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16201378.post-23290012463554692412007-07-07T08:48:00.000-04:002007-07-07T08:48:00.000-04:00Mark, I am thinking here of vocation as something ...Mark, I am thinking here of vocation as something that God gives me, rather than as a career that I choose for myself. Whether God calls us to one thing or many is a theological issue, more than a cultural one.Gruntledhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377809238377382438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16201378.post-76020483956917146922007-06-04T19:53:00.000-04:002007-06-04T19:53:00.000-04:00I grew up in agriculture, went to college for a bu...I grew up in agriculture, went to college for a business degree, got into the transportation industry (14 years), picked up a degree in computers, moved into the manufacturing industry (5 years), picked up a third bachelors degree (this in Christian Ministry), headed off to seminary, and have now been a pastor nearly 2 years. With my wife of 19 years, we have 3 teenagers.<BR/><BR/>One of the amazing things is that another Elder in our small congregation couldn't understand how we could up and leave a very good paying job and take three children and move hundreds of miles away to attend seminary. After a few months, he announced that his family of five would be joining us in seminary. He had considered it impossible, and thus had been unable to "receive a call".<BR/><BR/>I too thought it was impossible, even 10 years ago. But I did want to be able to study the Bible, and so I took a course on Bible Study Methods. That led to leading a small group, and that is where others could observe my passion - and suggest that I could become a pastor. September 11 helped us to focus more on what is truly important, and a month later is when I understood my call to ministry.<BR/><BR/>I grew up thinking I might be a priest (RCC) some day. But my father kept saying something about carrying on the family name. I married a Protestant who didn't convert. When the kids got old enough to ask questions about the differences in our congregations, we realized it was time to find one church to attend. A few years later I became a Christian because of faith, rather than by association.<BR/><BR/>I grew up on a farm, and now I serve a PCUSA congregation in a rural area. I share something in common with nearly everyone in the congregation. Because of my varied background, I'm able to be a stabilizing presence here. Things have turned around considerably. My wife and I have no doubt of our call here.<BR/><BR/>In no way does our calling here at this time nullify anything which came before. Going to seminary at 40 meant I could speak with my classmates from life experiences. In fact, those in my graduating class in our 40's, have done well in ministry, while several younger ones have struggled.<BR/><BR/>It's possible to understand that we have one calling, and that calling is in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. That calling can be expressed in many ways over a lifetime.DennisShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15099379117467859558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16201378.post-60844964651603957902007-06-04T16:59:00.000-04:002007-06-04T16:59:00.000-04:00I'd think that this idea would be obvious.Many, ma...I'd think that this idea would be obvious.<BR/><BR/>Many, many people are changing careers today. The whole idea of mid-life career change is mainstream. Gone are the days where your employer promised you a job for life.<BR/><BR/>We have no trouble with ministers being called to new locations. Why should we be surprised with them being called to new vocations? Why should we be surprised with people over 25 being called to the ministry?<BR/><BR/>I occasionally catch a glimpse of a future that has me wearing a stole. I don't know if that will ever happen, but at my own mid-life it still seems possible.Mark Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06744333045874641836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16201378.post-51577647897361027932007-06-03T14:26:00.000-04:002007-06-03T14:26:00.000-04:00Gruntled:It's an area of fruitful research these d...Gruntled:<BR/><BR/>It's an area of fruitful research these days. One of the more helpful points of attention is to how calling fits into the doctrine of eschatology as much as, or more than, it fits the doctrine of creation.<BR/><BR/>One of the weaknesses of the reformers was their overemphasis on calling as a function of birth and status. It was terribly undemocratic, and represented a truncated view of God's calling. Some theologians are focusing on eschatology, and on the ways in which calling is a function of living into God's promised future. Our birth status (male and female, slave or free, Jew or Gentile) is not determinative of our calling. <BR/><BR/>As a result, it's easier to consider that our lives can include many callings, different expressions of our one calling to belong to Christ. A balance of creation and eschatology allows us to discern our created gifts and our spiritual ones; it also allows us to be as flexible in our forms of service as circumstances might demand. In other words, a person may be called to be a banker first, then a minister, or vice-versa.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com