A different take perhaps

The central feature of the Christian faith is our belief that God has revealed what he is like uniquely and, some including myself would say, exclusively in Jesus Christ. In short, Jesus for Christians – and for the world, for as Peter is proud to say to the ruling council in Jerusalem in the Acts of the Apostles, ‘Salvation’ which means wholeness, life and abundant living is ‘found though him (Christ) alone – becomes the pattern for living. Such a pattern is not just to be admired, but followed, embraced and identified with. Put simply Jesus calls us to follow him and be like him. In order to follow the call, we must first hear the voice; which is an appropriate starting point for Vocation Sunday. The term ‘vocation’ has often been taken to refer to someone having a calling usually religious, artistic or in the caring professions.

Thus Lis is called to the priesthood

Thus Colin is called to use his musical talents to enable us to worship

Thus Jennifer is called to be a GP

There is nothing wrong with those three statements; and for what it is worth, I think each one may well be true. However, the term ‘vocation’ comes from the Latin word vocare which has a much fuller meaning than ‘a call’; it means ‘to listen to the voice’. For me at least this is important: vocation begins by cultivating the ability to listen.

Vocation is not though restricted to roles within the Church or within society, community or indeed family – although it could include all of these strands.

What is our vocation?

The problem quickly becomes that we become fenced by thinking it always is do with Church

–       read

–       pray

–       lead the Sunday school

–       join the PCC

To leave it at that means that we restrict God, and there is a hierarchy which does ourselves and God a disservice

–       Teaching in Sunday School becomes less important than preaching

–       Serving at the altar is deemed to be less than cleaning

–       arranging the flowers less than singing in the choir

All of this is just plainly wrong! We think such things are true because we have lost the ability to listen.

Our vocation begins with our calling to be human.

Personally speaking, I find it easier to fulfil my calling to be a priest than to be human.

Why would I suggest that being human is basic vocation?

Our Scriptures would tell us that we are made in the image of God. We ourselves are aware that sometimes we do not a good job of being human. We allow ourselves to be less than we can be. This might be through thinking than we are better than we are; although my experience of most Christians is that it is often the other way round. Human beings are called to be the image of God. There is perhaps no greater calling.

Vocation for Christians however does not stop there. It continues with our baptism. This is why within our context; godparents are asked specific questions, which are re-affirmed at our confirmation. We are asked by the Bishop. Before anything else then our baptism gives us the following vocation

Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers?                                                                                         

Will you persevere in resisting evil, and whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?                                                                                                          

Will you proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ?                

Will you seek and serve Christ in all people loving your neighbour as yourself?     

Will you acknowledge Christ’s authority over all human society, by prayer for the world and its leaders, by defending the weak, and by seeking peace and justice?

It is a vocation to worship, discipleship, mission, service and proclamation. Or as our strap line on our news letter puts it:

 

Worshipping, learning, sharing and serving together

But for all of this we are given a pattern: Jesus Christ.

The Apostle John writes, “This is how we know what love is. Christ gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for others’.

Or as Jesus puts: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

 

At the heart of the Christian calling then is a self-sacrificial love. Like the good theologian he is, John immediately gives us a practical example. Our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.

Our calling is to love one another.

That is the easy part.

Love in action requires us to get involved – to get stuck in or to get a little messy.

Our calling is to love one another in the context of community – in the context of relationships.

I find it very easy to love someone that I am never with. They never irritate me. They never catch me off guard.

This community – in this (holy) place has a particular calling – to love the people of this Parish.

Our Church is a community that has been called together. The name church (ekklesia) means a community that it is called together. We share the same baptismal vows. We have made the same commitments when we have re-affirmed our faith. Our duty and our joy is to proclaim Christ to other; calling them to follow him. We do this by demonstrating our love; which is earthy and practical more than it is a wonderfully fashioned concept.

This is not an easy task. This is why we must rediscover our vocation. Our vocation which begins in listening! It begins in listening to a God who has shown us how to live and calls us to be like his Son.

It may be that you are called to read in Church

It may be that you are called to be part of the welcome team

It may be that you are called to lead Junior Church

It may be that you are called to join the cleaning team

Or alternatively

It may you are called to spend time with a neighbour

It may you are called to play Bingo on a Tuesday afternoon

Most importantly you are called to reflect God’s image; and as you do so, your friends, neighbours and family members may look at you as members of the Jerusalem council looked at the apostles and thought they had been with Jesus.

All this is possible because God raised Jesus, who had died, to life – and he lives so we can have life and sets us free to be human: to live, love, laugh, walk and talk. In all this, we bear the image who of the one who is alive for evermore.

Let us pray