Are you "called" or "owned" - Devotion for 6/21/07

Are you “owned” or “called”? – Devotion for 6/21/07

When I was preparing for ordination, as is standard in the United Methodist Church, I was placed into a covenant group with others who were preparing for the same task as I was. The group I was a part of was a wonderful group – I had gone to seminary with 4 of them, 1 of them and I were in the same youth group as teens, and another 1 of them knew my father. On top of what a great group we had, we were assigned a minister who would help guide us and prepare us for the ordination papers and interviews. I recall one particular conversation that we had where we were talking about how many hours a week a minister should “work.”

Rev. Banks spoke up to us and make the proclamation, “If you are fully devoted to your calling, then you should not work at all.” Confused, we all looked around the room as if Rev. Banks had just blasphemed God somehow. He began to explain that recently his congregation had hired a full-time youth minister, and this youth minister had come into his office and asked him how many hours a week he was expected to work. Rev. Banks explained to him that he was being paid so that he would not have to work, so that all of his life could be devoted to the ministry of the church. Still not getting it (either the youth minister, or us as he told us about the encounter), he went on to explain that Paul was a tentmaker by occupation. To earn his living and provide for life’s essentials, Paul would make and fix tents. However, through his work with the church, eventually the churches he helped establish began to give him gifts and contributions as a sign of their gratitude, but also as a way of providing for Paul so that he would not have to go back to his occupation – tent making. As long as his needs were being met, Paul did not have to work (his occupation making tents). He could devote all of his life to his vocation (his calling to serve God).

Finally it began to sink in – both the youth minister that Rev. Banks first explained this to, and then to the group he was now telling the story to. You can see evidence of what Rev. Banks was talking about throughout many of Paul’s writings. This morning I was reading from Philippians 4:10-20, and as Paul is writing while imprisoned (either in Caesarea, Ephesus, or most likely Rome), he speaks of being content in whatever circumstances he was in. Verses 16-17 read, “For even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.” As he gives thanks for the gift, he even sees the giving of the gift as a blessing for the ones who gave it.

I got to thinking about Paul today, because not everyone is able to just drop their occupation to follow a vocation. I believe that we are all called (vocare – Latin meaning “to call”; root word for vocation) to serve God in some way, but not all are called to leave their occupation. Many can live up to their calling (vocation) within their occupation. God has a purpose and calling for each and every one of us. Do you let your job possess you? The root word for “occupation” is “occupy.” The word occupy comes from a latin word which meant to possess. So does your job possess you, or are you able to live up to a calling within your occupation?