Called

When I was a young man, still a teenager in fact, I had an experience which I interpreted as a "call to preach." In my religious tradition, to be "called to preach" meant, of course, much more than that. It usually meant "called to ordained ministry" and ordained ministry meant not only preaching, but all the usual tasks and responsibilities of being a clergyperson. But that wasn't our language nor the language of much of the Church.

In the tradition of which I am a part now, The Episcopal Church, one is "called to the priesthood" or "called to the diaconate." Both mean "called to ordained ministry," though the ministries are usually different. But in both traditions, being "called" means having a higher authority declare that you are somehow "fit" to be an ordained leader, and then having a bishop and others lay hands on you to signify that. Or not.

That is to say, you can believe you are called by God to a particular ordained ministry and have others decide you're not. Exactly how they decide is, of course, a subjective process full of mystery. I am very aware of people being "turned down," that is, having the legitimacy of their call questioned for, say being overweight or being abrupt. Now the fact is that the ordained ranks are peppered with fat people and abrupt people, and for that matter fat, abrupt people. Yet the fat, abrupt and FaA people still manage to be at least adequate ministers--sometime much more than adequate. And one wonders: did they become F, A, and/or FaA only after ordination?

Today, a woman shared with me that her bishop had recently said to her something to the effect, "Don't ruin your spirituality and ministry by seeking ordination." Was he really giving her the low down on what happens to many who go through the process and become ordained, or was he just trying to discourage one more potential candidate for ordination from clogging the system? In either case, what of her call? What must she do now? Be content with a lay ministry--an important lay ministry? But is she being really faithful if she does?

It's all a mystery to me.

Peace,

Jerry+