I Feel Called. . . . . .Now What?

Is God Calling YOU! Is God calling me to do this work or this ministry? How do I know the call comes from God and not my own unconscious longings or fears OR even cultural influences on my perceptions and decision-making?

God IS Calling Today Hearing God’s call bestows an honor unequaled upon human beings What affirmation could be greater than the awareness that God knows your name, speaks to you, and invites your participation in the divine intervention for the world? God isn’t just calling people to join the clergy

Stories of God’s Call Richard Carol Daniel Tom

The Mystery of God’s Call God’s call is mysterious; it comes in the darkness of faith. It is so fine, so subtle, that it is only with the deepest silence within us that we can hear it. And yet nothing is so decisive and overpowering for a man or woman on this earth, nothing surer or stronger. This call is uninterrupted: God is always calling us! But there are distinctive moments in this call of his, moments which leave a permanent mark on us – moments which we never forget. - Carol Carretto, Letters from the Desert

Exercise in Discernment Make a list of five Christian individuals you know who exemplify the Spirit of Christ. If you identified their call by the life they live, what would your guess their call to be?

Is God Messing With Your Life? Anatomy of a Call It begins as an idea in your mind The idea is clothed with images and emotions – positive and negative The emotion-clothed idea initiates a dialogue within – that often involves a struggle We embrace the call We take initial steps

Exercise in Discernment Draw a vertical line. At bottom of line write “Birth” and at the top write “Now”. Slowly picture the unfolding of your life Make a hash mark at any time along the way you thought about God’s call for you. Identify this point with a word or phrase

Sources of God’s Call An idea that emerges in our consciousness Another person’s affirmation of a gift you’ve been given A text in Scripture Coming face-to-face with others pain Through our own pain

Stirrings of the soul Restlessness in your work A gentle, undramatic call from God In invitation to share in an existing ministry

Exercise in Discernment Return to lifeline. Add hash marks for the various sources of God’s call that you’ve experienced

The Signs of God’s Activity Clarity Persistence Progression Congruence of Call and Circumstance Convergence of Events Conviction Peace Ecstasy

Thomas Merton’s Confession My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, you will lead my by the right road though I may know nothing about it.

Wrestling with God – and Ourselves Feeling too busy Feeling unworthy Feeling inadequate Having a conflict with spouse or significant other

Hearing the Voice of God through Others Reflections from a Friend Reflections from a Group Reflections from the Church

Hearing God through Others Clearness Committee – Council on Discernment Personal Discernment

Discernment to Act If you feel called to a ministry in your local church or community Invite several people to form a support group Make a list of first steps toward your implementing your calling Get approval from the pastor and/or governing body of your church Create a timeline Make regular reports to the church Keep looking to God for guidance

Discernment to Act If you feel called to ordained ministry Select a small group of friends to pray for you Seek counsel of your home pastor Contact seminaries and ask for catalogs Contact admission director for schedule of conferences for prospective students Choose a seminary and proceed in faith

Ways to Live into Your Call Live in Awareness Daily Be Creative in Your Ministry Find Ways to Keep the Call Fresh Talk about your sense of God in Your Ministry Keep your life balanced Accept Appreciation & Affirmation Be a Lifelong Learner and Teacher Uncover the Wells of Renewal (Gen.26:11-19)

BIBLIOGRAPHY Guinness, Os. The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life. www.publishinggroup.com: W Publishing Group, 1998. Johnson, Ben Campbell. Hearing God’s Call: Ways of Discernment for Laity and Clergy. Grand Rapids, Mi: Eerdmans Publishing, 2002. Palmer, Parker. Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000. Willard, Dallas. In Search of Guidance: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God. New York: HarperCollins, 1993.