TRUST Your Call

It may not show up in a list of Christmas Words, words like wait and watch, joy, hope and love. Yet, the word is Advent. It's essential preparation for the fulfillment of God's promise. It's also essential to your call into ministry.

The Christmas story is all about call. In it, God calls people to do what God wants done. The call is part of the promise. God calls Mary. God calls Joseph. God calls shepherds, and all sorts of wise people. Do you think anyone in the story doubted their call, questioned the promise? I suspect so. Wise people ask questions. "How can this be?"

Notice in the story how quickly things move along. God doesn't wait for Mary and Joseph to file their FAFSA and get their finances set. God moves. God calls. God promises. God comes.

When you consider a call into ministry, in part it means the recognition that God has claimed your life with a promise, a promise to use your gifts to bring about what God wants done. So, this Advent ponder the call and promises God makes in the story that leads to Christmas.   Then, ponder your own story. "How can this be?" "How can I trust the promise?"

Advent Blessings,

Rev. Lee Johnson, Director of Admissions, Saint Paul School of Theology 

St. Paul is one of the 13 seminaries supported by the Ministerial Education Fund of the United Methodist Church.

God Is Still In Control!

Miss Lladale Carey

Web Content Producer

www.umcgiving.org

lcarey@umcom.org