The Call Reflection

God called you to be a servant to others. Use your gifts and talents to influence and develop

It defines our purpose or mission in our life, which can be a called our vocation which has implications for our work or occupation that deals with our gifts and talents. "The immediate responsibilities - those tasks or duties God calls us to today" (Smith, 2011, p. 10). Example; taking care of my disabled brother since he was a child gave me a special call to take care of the many developmental disabilities for many the that I have accepted knowing that it was given to me since we were children. has called me to

The one thing many people do not talk about is vocation. Gordon T. Smith declares there are three different forms of vocation. First is the general call which is the invitation to follow Christ. Second is the specific call, this is unique to each person and can be classified as their mission in this world. Third is the immediate responsibilities; these are the task God requires of us daily (p. 10). As a Christian, one's vocation is their response to God; their call is to serve Him in life and reflect who He is to others, no matter the stage of life they are in or the occupations they are call to pursue. Occupations may change through life, but the vocational call remains consistent despite the

I must find my calling if I am to truly live my life to the fullest and to live out God’s plan for my life. God is the only one who can help me find my purpose. He has had a plan for my life long before I was even born and that God has a purpose for me that no one else could fulfill. “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future, Jeremiah 29:11” (NIV). This means that no matter what I do as long as I am in accordance with God’s will, everything will turn out for the best in the end. God has promised to give me hope and a future and to bless my life. “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do, Ephesians 2:10” (NIV). With this knowledge I know that God has created me exactly the way I should be and that he has given me talents and skills enough to do all he asks of me to do.

God’s purpose in Christ is to reconcile all things to Himself to the praise of His glory. The church is the body of Christ in the world—the means by which the world will know that Jesus Christ is Lord, and through which all believers will reach maturity in Christ and unity in the faith and knowledge of Christ.

In the article "Now I Become Myself," author Parker Palmer endeavors to illustrate to her readership how can find personal fulfillment in their occupations by finding out about the self and what it is the individual needs to be satisfied. Most important to Palmer is a wider understanding of the term "vocation." This term is usually applied to religious persons who feel some otherworldly calling to the mantle of the clergy. However, Palmer argues that vocation can be a part of everyone's life, no matter which field it is to which they are drawn. Vocation is a gift for every person from a divine being who tries to inspire people to become the best versions of their selves possible. Achieving this is possible for everyone so long as they listen to the self and do not engage in actions which would hinder self-discovery. What's more, Palmer says, once the self-actualization has occurred, one is not only a better employee, but a better all around human being.

Nearly two decades later, I started to put the pieces of the puzzle together. It would start with a simple but powerful statement, “We are called to make disciples, not members.” That statement would lead me to reflect on and seek out a better understanding of what it meant to be a disciple. That, in turn, led me to study and reflect on the concept of servanthood. I realized that developing a more personal and authentic relationship with Christ required more than just attending worship, working in the church and simply believing in Him. I realized that living a Christ-like life required a different way of thinking, a different way of living.

We are in a season where God wants us to run forth with all we have as a unit ,to go and set the captives free, to heal the sick, to raise the dead. But it can only happen if we Arise..

In The Call to Personhood, Alistair McFadyen attempts to construct an image of the person as an individual but in social terms, as it were cutting a path between individualist and collectivist anthropologies to from a new framework. In the first two chapters, McFadyen sets a theological framework for understanding that the creation and redemption of man requires a relational understanding of man. In the first chapter, McFadyen does this by grounding the 'personhood ' of man in the Christian doctrine of Imago Dei and the trinity. While his framework for the trinity is the Latin Trinity he argues that each person of the trinity is only a Person through relation. The relationship is dialogical and each ‘person’ is a subject of communication. Created in the image of the Trinitarian God humans are thus in dialogue with God and in dialogue with each other, specifically as male and female. The fallen state of humanity marks the rejection of the offer of dialogue partnership with God and thus with each other. The second chapter builds on this by focusing on the recreation of the individual into the image and likeness of Christ through the call of discipleship. The individual is called out of their context and their repentance represents their re-orientation towards Jesus. Yet, the decision of the individual to forsake their present relatedness is not a self-centring as it is a response and an "incorporation into a different relation and relational context" (49).

One text that has been incredibly formative in helping me understand my calling is “The Summons”, by Dennis McCallum. This is the story of a young girl being called by God to accept Christ and to share his teachings with others. McCallum uses a narrative format to share several wonderful sermons with the readers. There is one section in particular that touched my heart. The bible study instructor is asking the group to open their hearts to God. “This is what God wants for you tonight. He doesn’t want you to commit to keeping a religious discipline. He wants you to come to Him with empty hands and an honest heart, and forge a relationship with Him” (McCallum, 1993, p. 79). Reading these words forced me to reexamine how I was living my life. I attend church regularly. I even work for my church, but was I really developing my relationship with God? I found that I was going through the motions. I needed to truly commit my whole life to the Lord, not just part-time. My relationship with God needs to be nurtured and cared for, just as any other relationship in my life. That is why I want to attend seminary. I want to learn everything I can about my Lord. I want to be able to share His word with others.

am called to share the compassion I was shown, to live it, and to pass it on. Through my words

This idea calls all people to him as Lord not just those who are part of the church, it is the “assembly called by God, and therefore requiring the attendance of all.” The third part of the commitment is that Jesus choses us before we ever chose him. “You did not choose me, I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit” (John

When God feels that we are ready then he will send us a call. The universal call to holiness is rooted in our baptism. It is a call to know, love and serve the Lord. It is a movement that draws us toward a deeper union with God. A vocation is a call from God to choose a certain profession. God all made us in his image and likeness, so when he calls me to any vocation, therefore, I will trust him. Theonly vocation that truly calls to me is a consecrated

The main issue with this calling is application and contextualizing through sound doctrine in such a way that it also expresses the mercy and love of Christ. Though when people's traditions that to lead false teachings or understandings of scriptures are challenged resistance is natural.

When people hear the term “Life Calling,” they often think of a career or occupation. Life Calling is so much more than that. Life Calling is our purpose in Life. Bill Millard defines Life Calling as, “Confidence in an overarching purpose for your life and living consistently with that purpose.” There are three main components of Life Calling: foundational values, unique design, and personal mission. Unique design has been the focus over the past weeks. The goal of studying unique design was to evaluate strengths, passions, and experiences. From evaluating our strengths and weaknesses, we can apply our knowledge to discovering our Life Calling (Millard 86-87).