This is what I told my dad when I made the dramatic degree change from biology to philosophy and religious studies. I was surprised when his reaction wasn't excitement and it was difficult to hear his council that "not everyone needs to study that to be in ministry." What did he mean? My older brother was a youth pastor, so I thought that this news was going to be better received. His wisdom and experience, however, allowed him to see my zealous naivety. This side of a Bachelor's and most of my Master's degree, I see now what he meant.
One of the major distinctive beliefs of German reformer, Martin Luther's theology was what has been termed as the "priesthood of all believers". In a way, this is what my dad meant; that is, ministry is not a profession but a vocation. What? Are those not the same thing?
No, a career is not necessarily a vocation.
A career is what one does with the time that they have in devotion to an end (be it provision for family or passion for the career). Career's are essential to being a productive human and can be the same as a vocation, but the differences are real. A vocation, when properly understood, is a calling. In fact, the word "vocation" is based on the Latin root-word voca which means "to call". This is a much more profound concept than simply a career. So what does it mean to be called?
I find it most helpful to understand a calling as merely that "thing" that you cannot help but feel inclined to do. A calling is not a logical choice in which you see the kind of life that a specific career leads to and decide "I'll do that because of the pay out". Instead, a call is that deep seated, gut knowing that "I must do this with my life if I want to live any kind of full life." As such, a calling can be a job or it could be a hobby; either way, it is seemingly unavoidable and usually pleasurable.
So...
going back to the question which titles this post, there is a certain sense in which one can be called to ministry. I would caution, however, from confusing this with the calling of all believers or Luther's "priesthood". I would equate a calling to formal ministry as analogous to a calling to work with mentally handicapped or troubled teens; specifically, it is not in everyone's capacity to possess the skills or to learn the skills to serve these specific cases with passion, day in and day out. Similarly, though all are called to be a witness to the light of Christ, not all are called or gifted with the ability to serve and lead in a formal capacity. This is important for believers who, in their passion for their faith, run out and make big decisions which disappoint in the end. I fear too many leaders are in positions in which they are not equipped and the modern expectations of many pastors often do not match that pastor's gifting; this exponentially compounds the problem.
So, is there anything wrong with having "just a career"? No, as long as you are passionate enough to do it well; everyone needs to be productive with excellence and this glorifies God in and of itself. I would also say that a person could have more than one voca or callings. In all of this, the important thing is to self-reflect and decide for yourself what you are meant to do with your natural gifting and passions.
So, are you in ministry?
Yes, you are... and maybe no...but mostly yes. :)
peace,
C.M.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post. I think too often people use the word 'calling' and have forgotten what it means. It's become lost in the jargon of Christian-insider lingo which although at one point quite meaningful and pointing to something, has since been a generic term that a handful of Christians might use and each one refer to a different thing, as with other Christian-insider lingo words (i.e. grace, salvation, redemption, atonement, Gospel, lost, sin, saved, sanctification, prayer, ad infinitum). I don't think that necessarily empties those words of the weight of their meaning and what they refer, but it means it is important to clarify all the more what one means when one of these words is mentioned. As with 'calling,' does one mean general, effectual, a purpose/path in life (like with Buddhism), the name of a one-hit wonder late 90's band, or something entirely different? I think the same can be said today about the word Gospel. There are 4 Gospels, but there is still the Gospel. Then, to be unpacked further some refer to one specific view of atonement as being the Gospel while others might look at another view and yet others might have a more wholistic view in mind and some might simply believe it to be an announcement about Jesus and nothing more while still having some implications in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and the Kingdom of God being advanced and established in the world with present implications beyond the ethereal (i.e. Wright). Some might use the term Gospel and refer strictly to the subjective act of the person making a decision about Jesus which then, places the saving on the individual as opposed to God in Christ, obviously, having some large implications in one's theology and worldview in light of it as well.
Anyway, I wouldn't go as far as some of the postmodern philosophers who might say words really have no meaning, I believe they do have meaning insofar as they are signposts to something that is greater and grounded in reality (whether idea or concrete). On a different and related note, I believe that there is a problem with the church today in thinking that one desiring to serve in ministry must abandon their work and go into different work. Why not retain one's work and use that work as a missional engagement in light of the Gospel? There is the theological education aspect and being trained to exegete the Bible and preach and counsel, etc, but could not these be put back on the local church? Why can't the local church be a place where everyone is trained in church history, theology, exegesis, preaching, teaching, counseling, etc...?
Perhaps a different point, but I think it is unfortunate that being in ministry often necessarily involves leaving one's engagement in culture and being removed, then trying to talk to culture afterward from the outside, in a sense (as one can never really leave culture). The origins of the word vocation are telling and informative. My old and massive The New Lexicon Webster's Dictionary of the English Language says about vocation that it is not just being inclined to a career or job, but specifically that one feels 'called by God' and 'has a duty' to do a particular thing in life. Contemporary dictionaries have emended that definition, but what is striking is that it isn't called by God to a professional ministry in the local church, but called by God and then left open. So, as you said rightly, one can be called by God to be a mechanic, a garbage man, a carpenter, a nurse, a cosmetologist, a bus driver, doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc. However, God created us to do work, to enjoy it, and to do it to His glory. So, we can glorify God in our work outside of the church by working hard, enjoying it, seeking to live by the Spirit in the workplace, and serving in the local church as a member of the Body of Christ on the side. The Apostle Paul did this as a tent maker.
Thanks for your post.
grace,
Matt