Monday, September 16, 2019

God's Call - week 2 - Vocation Sunday


Sermon notes from sermon Preached at Sunday AM and St. Peter's Church Sunday 15th September 2019 - On the theme of Vocations  - Text Jonah 

Below are videos used 






May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be now and always acceptable in thy sight O Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen 



Today, the parishes of The Church of Ireland are being asked to consider vocations to the ordained ministry - Asking people to consider are they being called to serve God in this particular way - This is not to glorify this one particular way of life - but to present it as an option that some might consider serving God in this way. It’s also an opportunity to get an insight into a way of life which is sometimes misunderstood or even shrouded in mystery. 


I realise that this is not a topic many here are considering but my hope this morning is that we all might learn something of the processes of church  life and also to encourage what God might be doing in the lives of those around us. 

The passage I’ve chosen to speak on today is one which might seem strange - we’re neither living in old testament times, nor is there much risk that those who run from a call from God might get eaten by a big fish! 

What I do want to say today is that: 
God still Calls today - he may be calling people here! Or those known to us 
That call might be scary when we first receive it but it when we do recieve it somehow by the power of the spirit is effective - when we keep close to him 

I also want to keep this in perspective: God's call is to all people - not just ordination! 

The call to a relationship with him (Primary Call) 
His call for those in relationship with him to share his love with other 
Then there is the vocational call - a call to live our lives in response to what we hear from him - that maybe as a shop worker, a teacher, a IT worker, doctor, carer .... or whatever you find yourself doing. Living out faith where you are. 


Today is more a bit of personal testimony than an exposition of the scriptures 

It is fascinating to me that the story of Jonah ends with Jonah wishing he had never come at all

In a commissioning service for one of the mission teams I went out on as a teenager - Bishop Harold Miller spoke about Jonah and he said it can be summarised in 3 points 

I won’t Go 
I will Go 
I wish I hadn’t come at all

For me, my calling to this place - a calling to ordained ministry is one in which I received happily as a teenager, I thought what the heck had I signed up for as a twenty-something yr old and have days where I think - Really God? What is this about - I’m not worthy nor equipped for this - and then time after time he says actually you are - and this is why! - my strength is made perfect in his weakness.

I mention this because my call was fostered by Godly people - speaking into my life - have you considered the Church? - you should consider it!

It also was reinforced by understanding my own gifts and passions 

It was tempered by feelings of I can’t, I really can’t - how would I …?

And then a running away from things during my uni years - maybe I was meant to work in computers and websites - or maybe it was secondary teaching I was meant to do 

With a wee bit of anger thrown in - If you wanted me to do this then why was such and such happening! - . Looking back through those years I can see how they shaped me - how the twists and turns of church processes shaped my life - angered me a bit but also clarified my calling! 

When I look back on my own few years in ministry The call to this way of life is not easy - nor is it overly difficult - when compared to others

Its really hard to describe: 
  • Yes its leaving home, its being in and living in community, its sharing the Gospel, its a privilege. I find it very difficult to explain what my role entails 
  • It’s up front (something that sometimes is difficult for someone who would rather be sitting down the back). 
  • It’s time consuming - we don’t work 9-5,  usually we get a day off a week, we don’t know what the next phone call will bring 
  • We’re dealing with all sorts of practicalities, trying to be quiet and contemplative, whilst also trying to reach out and be evangelistic whilst also maintaining our identity 
  • In one day We could be drinking tea and coffee in a nursing home, doing a school assembly, attending a diocesan meeting, updating websites and then going to a Bible study and preparing a sermon for Sunday. 

But above all ministry is a privilege - we get to see people as they really are - we get invited into the most intimate of situations - the moments where the closest of people are at their most raw as well as the most public of events. But our presence is always the same - to Bring God’s love, his support and his peace. 

If God is calling you to ordination, if you feel even the slightest of nudges in that direction - set out to discern if its for you - if it is then explore that to the full. It is a long road but certainly an exciting one 



If it’s not - that’s great - there are many many other ways to serve God. 

I’m going to leave it there for now - simply to say - if anyone wants to begin to chat about these issues, to chat to someone about call, to question me even further about things - do get in touch! 



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