What is calling?

[Schroedingers-CatParticipant]

OK, there is a theoretical discussion here, but this is also a very practical, personal issue.

I have a degree in theology – which, incidentally, makes me the most theologically qualified person in most churches, including the clergy – and training as a reader, implying acceptance by the CofE as a person who is suitable for ministry. I would suggest that this implies that I am not naively self-deluded, at least no more than anyone else.

I find a church that I feel is an appropriate place to be, I get involved, I find that i fit in. And yet the vicar tells me that he does not think that exercising my ministry there is part of my calling.

So why does he know what God is calling me to better than I do? OK, he is the vicar and I am not, but then what does that mean? He kept the appropriate people happy?

There is some part of me that thinks that the whole concept of “calling” is utterly wrong, that we are all called by God in very much the same way – to serve him and express his presence in the situations we are in. Or that calling is just a meaningless phrase to give a pseudo-divine backing to rejection or authority.

And yet the problem comes that without this sense of calling, many clergy have no justification for their position at all. They are simply doing a job, and have no sense of divine right to do it.

But does calling mean anything? If not, what should the allocation of work and ministry be done by? Choice of the minister? Personal decision?

[SavageSotoParticipant]

I’m not really sure I believe in “callings” persay or not anymore, but if there is such a thing I would say that it’s something that’s very personal. I don’t think it’s anyone else’s right to say what is or is NOT someone else’s calling…only you can know that.

[HeleneParticipant]

hmmm, responding to @SavageSoto‘s comment “I don’t think it’s anyone else’s right to say what is or is NOT someone else’s calling” – that’s the crux, because when you are heading towards ordination or ministry positions this is subject to the judgement of others.

“And yet the vicar tells me that he does not think that exercising my ministry there is part of my calling” – this could be double-speak for so many things. It sounds like a polite HR term of rejection to me. It may not be indicative of the person to whom it is said, it could be saying more about the organisation and person who says it…

I should ‘fess up that I did (I’m trying for past tense here) carry some antipathy towards the internal structures of the Anglican church and can be quite cynical at times. So I probably can’t be helpful sorry. I also lost a friend who was ordained as I ultimately didn’t respect her or her supposed calling.

 

[Anonymous]

I don’t think anyone can tell anyone else what their “calling” is or isnt’. What the vicar told you sounds like “Christianese” double talk to me. A way of politely masking his true feelings about your involvement in his church. Perhaps he is perfectly satisfied with the ministerial status quo and doesn’t want to chance introducing new people into the mix, or perhaps he knows influential people in the congregation who don’t want change, or maybe he feels threatened by your credentials? Or perhaps he is privy to certain political moves coming down the pike and is trying to protect you from getting hurt. OR it could well be E) None of the Above.

The fact that he makes that kind of seemingly pious statement which makes God the “heavy” instead of just being honest with you seems suspect to me. But maybe that’s just me. I don’t trust Christian leaders much anymore.

[AmyParticipant]

Yep, I’m with the others.  My experience of those things is that it’s a polite term for “you don’t fit our particular narrowly-defined description of what we’re looking for.”  Businesses do that all the time in regard to who they choose to hire, but it seems like churches are afraid to just come right out and say it.  There’s this notion that if they put it in religious-sounding terms, people will buy it and give up or move on.

At our last church, there was a whole class on “spiritual gifts” and “calling” for ministry work–by which they meant “which team you’re allowed to serve on here in this building.”  I no longer buy into the idea that Paul was creating some kind of exhaustive, literal list of specific spiritual “gifts”–he was saying basically that people are good at different things and we need to respect that.  But my church took it entirely literally, down to making us take a survey matching interests and personality traits with particular “gifts.”  I still remember mine–I scored high on discernment, prophecy, and teaching.  We also took a survey to find out which ministries would be a good fit given our interests and gifts.  That was how I got sucked into doing children’s ministry, even though I really don’t enjoy teaching Sunday school.  That was the only “proper” place for a woman with the gifts I’d identified.

All of that is to say, I agree that it’s not anyone else’s business to determine calling for someone else.

[starfielderParticipant]

Wow @Steve Clough, sounds like the vicar is just not one of your fans. Such polite, and as Jo put it, “christainese” way of saying this. What Amy says as well, “you don’t fit our particular narrowly-defined description of what we’re looking for.” 

I’m wondering what that felt like to be told this information? And, do you feel qualified? I would wager to say you are qualified and know and feel it… so what was it like to hear the vicar tell you this?

[Schroedingers-CatParticipant]

What was it like? Well I get used to it. It has happened a number of times. And yes, I do get that it is a “christian” way of saying “you are not for us, you don’t fit in”. the problem is that for certain areas of “ministry” are driven by a sense of “calling”.

I think, somewhere down the line, the idea of “calling” is a shortcut for “This is a crappy old role, loads of stress, and poor or no pay, so we will term it a calling, so you feel better about it” Being a vicar is a calling, because otherwise, it is a really crappy job. The other thing it is a shortcut for is “God told me to do this, so don#t criticise”, as in “I am called to lead worship”, or “I am called to work with Youth” – the latter might also be “Gods told me to do this, so pay me”.

And in all of this, there is no real sense of a “calling” to write software – which is what I do, and no sense of  engaging people in leadership if they have suitable qualifications – a broad term not just involving academics.

[Author]

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