It's God Calling!

December 17, 2015 is the 10th anniversary of my priestly ordination. I am amazed that a decade can feel like a blink of an eye.  It is still a privilege to offer myself in God’s service and I am exceedingly grateful to share this ministry with others who love God just as much as I do.  There are always challenges, which are really opportunities to see what God is up to and where God is calling us to be.
I do believe we all have a calling from God – to use the gifts and talents we have been given to bring about God’s kingdom on earth. The secular world tries to convince us that those talents should be exploited to make as much money as possible in order to be fulfilled.  That is a false idea of vocation.  There are too many people in this world who “make a comfortable living” and are completely miserable while doing it. Others purse their passions and while living hand-to-mouth.
In his book Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC, Frederick Buechner offers, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” I freely admit that I have the distinct privilege to seek my “deep gladness” while other struggle simply to survive soul crushing poverty, war and illness. In the midst of all this, identifying a “calling” can get easily lost when survival becomes paramount.  I hope all of us who have this privilege recognize it for what it is and use that power to offer support and change for those not in those circumstances. 
I fear that much of the discontent we see in our society today stems from the lack of opportunity for those caught up in a system that devalues their gifts, if they are even identified.  It is a simple matter for an organization to suggest to a group of discontented people and point a finger at another group and say, “they are the reason your life is terrible.  You can change your circumstance by getting rid of them.” This thinking allowed for Jim Crow laws and was the basis of Nazi propaganda.  It is a story as old as those in the Bible and as new as ISIS and ISIL. 
My gifts do not extend to being able to turn economic tides and allow for all people to find meaningful work, but I do (and will for as long as I draw breath) preach that God’s love is real and for everyone.  I believe that it is within the sanctuary of God’s love that we are able to discern our gifts and those of others.  It is incumbent upon us to use those gifts in service to God.  In that way I believe we will bring about God’s kingdom on earth.
Sure, that sentiment is a bit (or more than a bit) Pollyanna.  It sounds good, but how do we actually DO that?  I don’t know, but that is a good thing because it points me, always and in all ways, to God.  So we start with prayer and discernment, seeking God in all that we do.  We start by loving our neighbor as ourselves and not pointing any fingers because that is an exercise in futility.  We start by sharing what gifts and talents we see in each other, especially the children, and encouraging them to use those gifts in service to God (perhaps on the Vestry?!).  We start by allowing ourselves the luxury of seeking our “deep gladness” and (if we are truly blessed) changing course in order to pursue it AND meet the world’s deep need.  We start by giving thanks for all the gifts we have and not lament about the gifts we don’t possess (said to every American Idol wannabe who really cannot sing!).
As we reflect on this year coming to a close and think of the potential of the next, take some time to consider your calling, your deep gladness.  If you know what it is, rejoice and be glad in it.  If you are unsure, talk to people you know and trust (like your priest) to start discerning where God might be calling you.  While it might not seem like we are fighting against the powers of darkness, I trust that any action toward establishing God’s kingdom on earth is doing our part.
In gratitude and humility to God,

Rev. Valerie+

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