{"id":419,"date":"2008-04-23T01:01:16","date_gmt":"2008-04-23T01:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/04\/three-more-seeds-for-discerning-gods-call-to-ministry.html"},"modified":"2008-04-23T01:01:16","modified_gmt":"2008-04-23T01:01:16","slug":"three-more-seeds-for-discerning-gods-call-to-ministry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/04\/three-more-seeds-for-discerning-gods-call-to-ministry.html","title":{"rendered":"Three More Seeds for Discerning God\u2019s Call to Ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 5 of series: Ivy League Congress: Discerning God’s Call
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nMore Seeds for Discerning God’s Call to “Ministry”<\/strong>
\nIn my last several posts I sowed the first eight of eleven “seeds” for discerning God’s call to ministry:<\/p>\n

1. Laity: All Christians have a high calling as ministers of Christ.
\n2. Surprise: It’s likely that God will surprise you if you seek his will openly.
\n3. Sovereignty: If we want to discern God’s call upon our lives, we need to be committed to his sovereignty.
\n4. Stewardship: We should seek to use well the gifts, talents, and opportunities God has given to us.
\n5. Blessing: If we want to discern God’s call for our future, we should attend to how he is blessing our lives and ministries right now.
\n6. Community: We discern God’s call, not alone, but in community with other believers.
\n7. Fluidity: Fluidity within professional ministry positions means that we don’t have to figure out our entire career before stepping out in faith.
\n8. Family: A person who is married and\/or has children must take seriously what is best for his or her family in discerning God’s call.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Today I’ll finish up with the last three seeds.
\n9. Obedience<\/strong>
\nSimply put, if God is sovereign, then we ought to obey him. Specifically, this takes the form of obeying divine teaching in Scripture. For example, my professional journey from Irvine Presbyterian Church to Laity Lodge began with a passage of Scripture I was preaching on in February 2007:<\/p>\n

“No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise the new will be torn, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.” (Luke 5:34-38)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Right around the time I preached on this text, a representative of Laity Lodge asked about my openness to join their staff. I told him that I was not especially interested in changing job and moving my family, but that I believed I needed to be open to God’s new wineskins for my life. One thing led to another, and five months later I had decided to come to Laity Lodge. This process began with what felt like sheer obedience to God.
\n10. Redemption<\/strong>
\nThe Bible is filled with stories of redemption. Consider the case of Joseph, for example. Though he was sold into slavery by his brothers, and though he was falsely imprisoned in Egypt, God used these “misfortunes” to bring Joseph to a place of power and influence. (Photo: Donny Osmond as Joseph in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat<\/em>)
\nThe fact that God can redeem wrong actions, not to mention well-intended mistakes, should give us a sense of freedom when we’re seeking to discern God’s call to ministry. If we happen to “get it wrong,” God is not up in heaven worrying about what to do next. Rather, in his sovereignty, wisdom, and grace, God can work all things together for good (Rom 8:28). This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work hard to discern God’s will. But it does mean that we can be set free from the fear of failure when discernment misses the mark.
\n11. Wholeheartedness<\/strong>
\nWholeheartedness can be a sign of God’s call to ministry. The heart, from biblical perspective, is not just the seat of emotion. Rather, it includes feeling, reason, and will. A wholehearted commitment to a particular ministry means I think it’s the right thing for me to do, and that I am choosing to do it in faithfulness to God, and that I’m excited about doing it.
\nOf course there will be times in our Christian service when we won’t feel very happy about what we’re doing. Exhaustion, discouragement, criticism, and boredom can surely lessen our enjoyment of ministry. But we can remain wholehearted in our commitment when it is based on more than emotion. If I believe God has called me to serve him in a particular ministry, then I’ll hang in there even when my emotions might lead me in other directions.
\nNevertheless, it’s right for a person to ask: What moves my heart when it comes to the Lord’s work? What gets my pulse racing? What would I love to do for the Lord?
\nConclusion<\/strong>
\nIn scattering eleven “seeds” for discerning God’s call to ministry, I haven’t provided any foolproof formulas for discernment. As you might have guessed, I don’t believe such formulas exist. God works uniquely with each person. Some are called through a dramatic encounter with God, like St. Paul on the road to Damascus. Others discern God’s call only through a long process of waiting, thinking, and praying. But I believe that if we let the “seeds” of discernment take root, if we attend to them faithfully, God will indeed lead us in our quest to serve him with our lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 5 of series: Ivy League Congress: Discerning God’s Call Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series More Seeds for Discerning God’s Call to “Ministry” In my last several posts I sowed the first eight of eleven “seeds” for discerning God’s call to ministry: 1. Laity: All Christians have a high calling as…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ivy-league-congress"],"yoast_head":"\nThree More Seeds for Discerning God\u2019s Call to Ministry - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=419"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/419\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}