Ours for Others

Chap. 6
Standouts:
"Somehow we human beings are never happier than when we are expressing the deepest gifts that are truly us. And often we get a revealing glimpse of these gifts early in life. Graham Greene wrote in The Power and the Glory, "There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in." Countless examples could be added to these stories, but they all point to another crucial aspect of calling - God normally calls us along the line of our giftedness, but the purpose of giftedness is stewardship and service, not selfishness."

"This is why our gifts are always 'ours for others,' whether in the community of Christ or the broader society outside, especially the neighbor in need."

"... God created us and our gifts for a place of his choosing - and we will only be ourselves when we are finally there."

"... Soren Kierkegaard's observation that life is lived forward but understood backward.'

"Do what you are"

"Ours for others"

When I was in grade school, I wanted to be a doctor. Then in the 5th grade I wrote a play, or rather I co-wrote a play. I think it was about Lewis and Clark. That's when it started. That's when I wanted to be a writer. I don't know if that's when the door opened and the future was let in or not, but I there are times when I look at what I've written and wondered where it came from. It's been almost 50 years since then.

And the classmate that co-wrote the play with me - he became an English professor and has won literary awards for writing poetry. I guess I'm still waiting.

The scripture focus on 1 Corinthians 9:14-23 is about Paul's calling to preach. In reading it and reflecting on it, I know this about myself: for the last 30+ years, I would not hesitate to disciple students even if it was not in my job description and I did it on my "free time". I would do it for free.

How Did You Do That?

Chap. 5
Standout:
"We are not primarily called to do something or go somewhere;
we are called to Someone. We are not called first to special work but to God. The key to answering the call is to be devoted to no one and to nothing above God himself."

Someone commented that the author sounds a lot like Oswald Chambers. He does. In fact, he quotes Chambers in the next sentence. And if you read "My Utmost for His Highest", today's entry echoes these thoughts.

The Scripture Focus for this chapter is Exodus 35:30-36:2. Bezalel and Oholiab were craftsmen called to do the designs for the sanctuary. They were called by God to do this because he had made them to do this. The beautiful designs in their heads and the skill of their hands were put there by God.

I am always in wonder when I see drawings, paintings by people who didn't "learn" how to do that. It just comes out from them. We may call it their talent or gift, but maybe it is the expression of what God has made them. It really doesn't come from them, but from the Creator who created them and breathed it into them. And when they exhale, that's what comes out.

And not just art or music, but words of comfort, deeds of mercy, undefinable acts of wisdom. What we do is not a career choice, but an expression by Him, to Him and for Him through our lives.

Every ... every ... every

Chapter 4
Here's what I highlighted in this chapter.
"Our primary calling as followers of Christ is by him, to him, and for him. First and foremost we are called to Someone (God), not to something (such as motherhood, politics, or teaching) or to somewhere (such as the inner city or Outer Mongolia).
Our secondary calling, considering who God is as sovereign, is that everyone, everywhere, and in everything should think, speak, live and act entirely for him. ...
They are our personal answer to God's address, our response to God's summons. Secondary callings matter, but only because the primary calling matters most."

I've been waiting for someone to get hold of this. I can just imagine ... a pastor to KTA, or Ford dealership. Maybe a missionary to Macy's or the papaya farm. Followers of Jesus living it out on the job, at play and at home. Every Jesus follower who lives for him everywhere and in everything they do - this is powerful.

Question

Chapter 3
What stood out to me.
"As C.S. Lewis pointed out, 'The more we get what we call 'ourselves' out of the way and let Him take us over, the more truly ourselves we become.' The alternative is the real disaster. 'The more I resist Him and try to live on my own, the more I become dominated by my own heredity and upbringing and surroundings and natural desires. In fact what I so proudly call 'Myself' becomes merely the meeting place for trains of events which I never started and which I cannot stop.'
Only when we respond to Christ and follow his call do we become our real selves and come to have personalities of our own."

I found out that there are study questions for each chapter at the back of the book (thanks, Colby!). So, here's my response to the scripture focus on Exodus 3. God speaks to Moses from the burning bush. But, I don't know if it's really from the bush or the fire. It just underscores for me that you really don't know what God looks like - he's not the bush, not the fire. But you do know that you are in his presence - unmistakeably in his presence.

God identifies himself as "I AM", not I am _______. He is undescribable. He is. And he calls Moses to go back to Egypt. After all those years of being sure of who you are and acting on it (prince of Egypt) and then finding out you have to run because that's not what's going to rescue the people; then wandering around the desert for years chasing sheep. NOW God calls you. Now you know you go on God's reputation, not yours. Now Moses is becoming the person God made him to be.

The haunting question is "Who am I?" The answer? It's found in I AM.

(Yes, I need to catch up on posting. Reading ch. 5 today.)

Discovered

Seekers Sought - chapter 2
Here's what stood out to me.
"All is grace. The secret of seeking is not in our human ascent to God, but in God's descent to us. We start out searching, but we end up being discovered. We think we are looking for something; we realize we are found by Someone. As in Francis Thompson's famous picture, "the hound of heaven" has tracked us down. What brings us home is not our discovery of the way home but the call of the Father who has been waiting there for us all along, whose presence there makes home home."

It's so humanly arrogant to think it's all about my journey of discovery. How humbling it is to come to realize that it wasn't about my search for God, but about stopping to see that I have been discovered, I have been chased down by God. The father has been waiting for me to come home.

I remember learning about that poem, "The Hound of Heaven" years ago from James Sanbei, the pastor who baptized me and later led the church to ordain me, to affirm me in my "calling".

So anything stood out to you?

Fit

I read the first chapter of "The Call" several times this morning. I've been reflecting on it off and on all day (it was Jan. 10 when I started writing this post). I remember when I realized that "fit".

I responded to "the call" because I found such clarity in the Christ life. Jesus wants us to make a difference in this world for His kingdom. I found a compelling purpose in that. As I tried to find out what exactly that was for me, I was drawn to the church and counseled to go to seminary to prepare. Back then, it meant being a missionary or, as some advised me, to become a preschool teacher because that's the only thing churches in Hawaii would hire me to do. For those who know me, can you imagine me with preschoolers? Talk about a square peg in a round hole - what a 'mis-fit'.

About 13 years after I returned to Hilo, and after doing various things as an apprentice and later minister of education, it was the summer of 1990 when I realized it. Discipling students, especially those in high school and college, that's what fit. That's what I was made to do. And only God knew that. It taught me a lot about church positions, church expectations, and the mystery of the mind of God. Not necessarily the same.

This may be an interesting read. Hope it will be for others, too.

The Call

I read a review of the book "The Call" by Os Guinness and decided to buy a copy for myself. It's not that I'm wrestling with God's call to ministry, not after almost 34 years. In fact, it's one of the things in my life that I'm sure of it's "realness". But I thought it would be interesting to read it because I have been in ministry for 34 years.

I also thought it would be interesting to read it along with several people who are at the other end, the beginning end. So, I gave it to several people for Christmas. I think I will also blog about it while going through it.

So, if anyone else would like to join me/us, I'll be starting on January 10, reading a chapter everyday except Sunday.