What constitutes a 'calling'?

I have been thinking about some of the conversations I have had over the past year regarding 'calling' and it has got me thinking and challenging some of the reasons and means by which 'calling' has appeared.

If you wake up and find that amongst the clamouring thoughts of the day ahead there is a small brown envelope marked 'calling'.

If during the course of the week you find yourself drawn into prayer, reading and acts of Christian service or are drawn to lead people to Christ or expound the Word to others.

If within your Christian gathering you find people looking to you for leadership, prayer or an opinion and you find yourself doing 'stuff' within that setting because of some inner reality of a clanging bell.

Well, seems to me that you need to investigate and challenge what might be a call upon your life to be engaged within a recognised ministry in the Church.

If you happen to be a teacher and can't face one more Ofsted inspection or find that changes to your lifestyle means that you have 'more time' and would 'like to do a bit more' in the church, this is great and whilst the invitation to explote vocation is there, there is more to calling than availability of time or frustration with current employment.

Another fun take on 'calling' is the person who is extremely active within their church to the extent that their work life is beginning to suffer. This conflict between work and church isn't always a 'sign' that you are called to stipendiary ministry but it might indicate a need for some good time-management practices and the exercising of the privilege of the 'just say no!' approach to church jobs.

The bestest reason there isn't for exploring ministry is that of authority, control and the ability to 'direct' others. In fact these three aspects are the most damaging when I meet people for it says a lot about their take on ministry as being a non-collaborative entity that exists to have others serve you.

Servanthood and commitment, a willingness to serve wheresoever the need is, an ability to accept criticism (for there's lots of it about) and being able to be the 'bigger' person when others around you are being so much smaller - these are some of the things that make for 'calling'. Something just out of sight or that niggle at the back of the mind - these are the stuff of calling - that small voice that leads you to believe that you are God's racing car being used in the wrong place and the wrong way. Got these? Then it's time to explore vocation :-)

Pax