Ten Affirmations of the Called
Eugene H. Peterson said, “Pastoral ministry has no integrity unless it is rooted in a trained attentiveness to God in prayer, in Scripture reading, and in spiritual direction.” To neglect this attentiveness, Peterson says, “is often to lose sight of our calling and to find ourselves simply going through the acts of ministry…without careful, prayerful, and reflective attention to God or our calling.”
God is calling us back to a keen attentiveness to God.. If somehow we could hear anew the call of God and realize afresh that however the call came to us, it first passed through the hands of God. Such knowledge is a fight of faith and it offers meaning, hope, and reward for a lifetime of ministry.
Ten Affirmations of the Called
- I will be attentive to God in prayer, Scripture reading and in spiritual direction.
- I will be faithful to my calling when I see no visible results of my efforts; when I have no sense that people are getting better because of my work. I will seek God’s help to be faithful to God’s calling.
- I will keep my soul on fire, and will not base my work on feelings, but God’s faithfulness.
- I will recall the joy of begin grasped by something greater than myself, namely, my vocation.
- To those who count me a fool to pursue the heavenly vision, I respond with Nehemiah, “I am engaged in a great work and refuse to stop (Nehemiah 6:3).
- I have been called by the Spirit of God working in me, to a representative ministry within the people of God.
- I am to lead God’s people in worship and prayer and to nurture, teach and encourage Your people from the riches of God’s grace.
- I will exemplify Christ’s servanthood; I will build up the people of God in their obedience to Christ’s mission in the world; and seek justice, peace and salvation for all people.
- It is my task to proclaim by word and deed the gospel of Jesus Christ, to lead persons to faith in Jesus Christ, and to conform our lives in accordance with the gospel.
- I am called to serve rather than to be served, to proclaim the faith of the Church and no other; to look after the concerns of Christ above all.
