The Pondering Pen
When God Calls:
Recently, on July 6th, 2008, I announced to the congregation during the worship service that I had accepted a call by Zion United Church of Womack, Tx. to become their pastor this fall. Subsequently, I filed my letter of resignation with the Council, affective September 28th, 2008 with my last Sunday to lead worship being September 21st. While I’m sure many in the congregation feel like this is rather abrupt notification (though I did alert the Council to this possibility ahead of time), I want to assure you that the decision did not come easily or without considerable thought. With my in-laws living only 20 miles or so down the road from Womack, and considering their age, it soon became clear to me that the Good Lord was leading me in the direction of family – to be closer and of greater assistance to them, as well as serve His will at Zion, which appears to be a good match for me (they’re a lot like you folk were when I first came).
I must confess that initially, when I first felt the spiritual nudge to consider the move, I protested and tried the bargaining method in response to God’s call. I’m closing in on retirement, things are going well at St. John, we like the parsonage, we love the people, why move upstate where there is no baseball league to play in? Why not let me stay here? After all, they have me broke in just right (or was it -I have them broke in just right).
Well, when God calls, that’s kind of the way we often respond, isn’t it? Very often we hear the call and respond, “Hey, wait a minute. I like things the way they are.” I remember the story of Moses and the burning bush, as God chooses and sends him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. His response is “Who am I to confront the Pharoah?”. You can almost hear his thoughts in the back of his mind; “I’m just a simple shepherd. I’m quite happy to be out here on the side of this mountain watching the sheep. Why send me somewhere else?”
Not that I’m in the same class as Moses mind you, but it is terribly human to balk when God calls us to ministry and to His service. As I well know and have experienced again in my life, God’s call is irrevocable and persistent. While it is normal to balk, inevitably the people of faith must follow, must reply “Here I am, Send me.” As I look back over the considerations regarding this move, I sense God’s direction and inspiration; at times a soft and subtle nudging, at times the thunk of a brick. My faith requires response.
As I recognize this call of God in my life, I recognize also that someone, somewhere, a pastor someplace is getting the tap on the shoulder and the nudge in your direction. Don’t know who or when yet. But God has a future in store for you and with it, the leadership you need as a congregation to pursue it. In this time, God calls you to be faithful to the ministry before you. How are you responding?
I encourage you to listen carefully to that call in the days ahead; and to respond faithfully to its summons in the life of St. John. Oh, its perfectly human to balk a little, after all we all like things the way they are. But inevitably, the call of God is irrevocable and persistent. And the people of faith must follow it. Listen! And then reply, “Here I am Lord, Send me.”
Rev. R. Michael Vaughan
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