“But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.’” Isaiah 43:1 ESV
When I entered seminary (It was a while back, but the Apostle Paul was not in my class), we were required to attend what was known as “The August Course.” The August Course was a structured two-week program designed to prepare entering seminarians for the years of study that lay ahead. Led by three of our soon-to-be professors, we were given biblical and theological material to read and assigned a “free” paper, whose grade would not “count for or against” us (If you believe that, I’ve got some resort land in south Florida I’d like to show you). Since most of us had little or no liberal arts background, each day left us looking like a herd of deer in headlights. We did grow together as a class, though, and each day ended with very meaningful worship. The course concluded with a three-day retreat at a convent in Castroville, Texas.
At worship on our last class day before the retreat, the homily was given by The Rev. Charles James Cook, Professor of Pastoral Theology (He always preferred to be called Charlie). It was a short homily, and that was many years ago, but I remember it almost word-for-word to this day.
He began by saying that seminary was not the end but merely a step in our journey of life and that, before we knew it, we would be in the “valley of the dry bones,” Charlie’s euphemism for ministry. He said there are three things we needed to know in order to survive.
First, a call to ministry involves the shaking of the very foundations of everything you hold to be near and dear. Your life will never again be the same. I have certainly found this to be true in my life, as it was for those in the Bible; Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets, the Apostles, etc. Perhaps the reason is that the world is opposed to the Kingdom of God. Our sinful world is upside-down. Righting it, even one person at a time, naturally involves a shake-up.
Second, God will not call you to a work for which you are not equipped or for which He will not equip you. Another way of saying this is that “God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called.” This is often a difficult pill for some of us to swallow. It certainly was for me. Even though I could feel God’s call on my life, I felt that I did not want to be a priest. I had seen that ministry and wanted no part of it. Sort of like Jonah, who told the Creator of the Universe, “I’m not going to Nineva, and You can’t make me!” (Loose paraphrase. See Jonah 1:1-3). When we discern God's call, our response is to listen, pray, seek wise counsel, and trust Him enough to take the next step. As the story of Moses reminds us, God can work through our doubts and inadequacies, providing what we need to accomplish the work He gives us. If God is telling you to do something, it is up to you to say, “yes,” but my experience is that He will not leave you alone until you do. Then, He will give you everything you need to complete the task (Think of Moses).
Finally, God wants you…more than anything you can do for Him. Wow! Never saw that one coming, and it hit me right between the eyes. You mean that, even if I say “no” to God, He will still love me? The answer is unequivocally…yes! You see, we were created by God to be in fellowship with Him. And that is so whether or not we enter ordained ministry, fulfill a particular vocation, or accomplish something that others consider significant. That does not mean our choices have no consequences, but it does mean that our worth and God's love are not wages we earn through our performance. God's call is not primarily about finding something for us to do; it is about drawing us into a relationship with Him from which our service flows. Ask yourself, What might God be calling me to do—and can I trust that He loves me even before I answer? Remember, there is nothing you or I can do to make God love us less—or more.
Prayer: Gracious Father, thank you for loving me where I am and for loving me too much to leave me there. Help me to hear Your call on my life, and give me the courage to follow the path of Your will. Amen.
Fr. Steve+
Click the link for the text of the 2015 Hal Brook Perrry Distinguished Alumni award to Charlie Cook. The Hal Brook Perry Outstanding Alumni Award is an annual honor conferred upon a graduate of the Seminary of the Southwest. The award recognizes alumni who exemplify exceptional ministry and servant leadership to parishes, dioceses, and local or global communities. Rather than highlighting a single noteworthy achievement, it honors long-standing faithfulness, education, formation, and the building up of the church and its people.
