2023-03-18 A Meditation on Calling

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” (1 Co 12:1–11 ESV)

It can feel like by and large we are carried along in rivers of goodness, Grace for the weary, pedal to the metal, all systems go. But to answer a holy calling also refers to an ebb and a flow: we enter and depart that stream called Calling. For sure, nothing we do in faith is erroneous, but the “juice”, the amping up, the recharge; these things occur episodically (from time to time) and fulfill the promise to the one called and chosen: today, you shall be guarded under angels’ wings. Today your doctrine shall be heard, ebb and flow, in the streams of Grace, and in the forward investment of New Thoughts, New Encounter, and New Peace.

For it is a Peace that the Christian warrior seeks, tapping into that gift called “Calling”: if we feel we have a calling, it requires first the life choice not to covet greater accolades. Built up in Man’s world, we might occupy small position in God’s realm. Smaller than what we wish for ourselves. Smaller than our hackles allow. Hackles rise, at the bureaucratic relegation to small digs and lessor officialdom.

The Christian warrior who feels a calling then will face encounters with many others, and say to themselves, “This one, in secular employ, surely has more of a calling than I do!” Yet we are not discouraged. To be called is not to be “perfect” for the job, at least as to our own contributions. To be called is to be willing to mine, delve into, recreate in meta-format, the crutches our consciousness bears in life. The mistakes. The ennui. The empty longing just for a word to be spoken. All life, all our walks morning noon and night, all our vistas past (even just walking the streets) suddenly are sweetened and productive unto Service. We again go in and out of the flow of that good river, but in all things our forward lancing is capitalized, returned-on-investment, to give blanket space to do the detailed work alongside the truly prophetic or inventing. We invent new statements of peace, of rest at day’s end, and simply reflect: that image of a walk, is an image now amplified and meaningful; it gives sweet to the palate; it causes the warm sentiments, because we were already vouchsafed unto salvation in that hour, even as we walked minus official productivity. We produced only haltingly, our “calling” prior to conversion leading unto ennui, frustrated wanderings, sweetness at day’s end, in the restaurant solo or with a new friend, in the coffeeshops, in the place of work. Yet that sweet core is proven by our light deeds, for His burden is light and His yoke easy (Mt 11:30). God can turn everything on its head, and we stop faulting ourselves for evidence to the contrary regarding any “calling”: we lamp and vibe and invite the action-consequence of gospel faith.

Faith that we who sensed brokenness, did so in order that all might be redeemed. Did so in order that all might be simplified and made relevant. Did so in order that we might alight upon our proper height and perch, somewhere on that grand scale of spiritual output.