By the Very Rev. Ed McNeill

Anglican ordination services always include the question, “Do you believe yourself so called?” Our ordination process in C4SO begins with the question of call. It’s lovely when friends and family believe a person gifted for ordained ministry, but our question is whether God has called a person to ordained ministry. Describing a call that feels ineffable and touches the core of one’s person can be difficult to do, but it is essential that clergy be able to do this. Explaining one’s call creates an internal narrative that an ordained person can recall when temptations to leave ministry arise. Having an understandable narrative allows others to affirm a call and enthusiastically support the ordained person’s ministry. Perhaps most importantly, discerning God’s prompts and being able to articulate them is a large part of the vision casting work that ordained people do. If an ordained person can’t explain their sense of call, how can they be trusted with the work of vision casting? A significant part of my role as Director of Diocesan Formation is to help ordinands learn how to describe their call in compelling ways.

Having a call is a wondrous thing and the beginning of a journey that continues with a response. Matthew 22:14 reads, “Many are called but few are chosen.” The point made in the parable is that without a proper response, the call is wasted. A calling by God can feel compelling, but God does not insist. One can choose to not respond. A call from God is an invitation to a fulfilling life. This is true whether it is to ordained ministry or to lay ministry. Following the path God shows you lets you walk in the moment of God’s unfolding will in the world. We become means of God’s graceful activity to others. Not responding, or only partly responding to God’s call, is tragic.

Partial responses to God’s calling can be amazing but truncated experiences. I love the Apostle Peter. I love his boldness and holy ambition. Seeing Jesus walking on water and hearing Jesus’ assurance… Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:28-33 ESV).

Peter asked for a call, saying, “Command me.” It’s always a good idea to be clear about the call and also a good idea to not presume to act like Jesus without a clear calling to do so. Jesus called, and Peter got out of the boat! In a storm! And likely watched the boat tossed away by the waves. He responded, but he feared and so turned from his call. We know the story. Jesus told his one disciple willing to step out of a boat and to walk on water in the midst of a storm that he had little faith. I wonder how Peter would have changed had he persevered? How would his character have changed? What adventure in the Kingdom of God would he have enjoyed had he had more courage in that moment? His was a glorious partial response to a call. As unfulfilled as it was, it was vastly more amazing than sitting in the boat.

Often in ministry, the call isn’t as simple as “Come,” and the response isn’t as simple as getting out of the boat. That is where what I call “prophetic activity” plays a role. I’m sure there are better ways to describe this but “prophetic activity” sounds more reassuring than “face planting.”

I had lunch with a friend recently who shared some advice on identifying God’s call. “If it’s of God, everything will line up and the follow-through will be easy.” I thank God that sometimes answering a call is easy, but most of the time it isn’t. Much of the time it requires a time of wilderness wandering. It exacts a personal cost that is both formative and prophetic.

Paul wrote, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5 ESV). One learns the truth of these verses over years of service. We are God’s project and every calling to ministry involves tweaks to our character that very often come through suffering. And that, of course, is what ‘face planting” or “prophetic activity” is all about.

What do you do when you feel called to plant a church but don’t know where to begin? You engage in prophetic activity. (Doesn’t that sound better than “face planting”?) You step out of the boat. Often it feels like God is watching with bemused attention to your baby steps and only after gauging your commitment to answering the call begins sending divine assistance. Doors open. Help arrives just in time, and we get to stand in a moment of God’s unfolding will with hearts filled with joy. Ministry is like that. It’s a pattern of Call, Response, Prophetic Activity, and of course Glory.

The Very Rev. Ed McNeill is Director of Diocesan Formation for C4SO. Contact Ed.