It is very interesting how the editorial of this issue discussed the difference between choosing to follow Christ, and the command of Christ to “take up our cross” and follow after him. I have always sang with energy the song “I have decided” to follow Jesus, believing in fact that I made a sacrificial choice to pursue him. However, when asked, I have categorized my “calling” into full-time ministry, as an absolute plan from which I had no alternative. Recently I have thought a lot about that confidence and the decision that ultimately came from it. I have thought back to the time that I accepted this calling and what it meant to me then, and how I would describe it now. I must say that I have never doubted that I would be and should be in full-time ministry, and it was and is my belief that all who are called to do this, should share that level of determination to do for the kingdom, no matter what. But I have been faced with some very real challenges lately and I asked myself what would life be like without this commitment to full-time ministry. Aside from being lost in a life of secular (somewhat meaningless work- in my mind), I have wondered if I could still serve Christ and not be vocationally called to His work. Overwhelmingly, that answer seems to always be a quick, no! Not that I question my commitment to Christ and my salvation, but I have always felt that my identity in Christ was so closely tied to being a voice for his kingdom, and adamantly seeking new ways to engage our culture with his truth. Of course, common sense tells me that without a “church” job and a salary, those things are still needed in this world. So what if I had to work outside the church, would I still devote this much energy and time to the cause of Christ? That question has plagued me, and I have been forced to look at the reality of my commitment. I have come to the conclusion, that my decision to follow Christ was not my choice at all. Furthermore, there is nothing that can separate me from that choice. Surely, I have the freedom to rebel, but that does not change my purpose. The person I was born to be, is the man that works continuously in the kingdom of God, the man who pastors by the power of Christ. No matter what my W2 says at the end of the year, I am vocationally tied to sharing Christ. And that means that he has called me, not because I accepted, but because I responded to the call that was destined for me and my life.
The second thing that struck me as I read this Journal, was the description of the office of Pastor as a “gift” by Richard Lischer. It has always amazed me that God would call me to ministry. Of course, I was exposed to ministry very young through my father’s vocation, and in many ways, our ministry has followed a similar vocational pattern. But more than that, I am not my father in personality, and I have wondered why God would choose me. I have thought of it, at many times, as a great gift that He would allow me and equip me to do something that I love so much. My wife has even commented on how blessed I am to know what I want to do with my life and have the open door to do it. This truly is a gift, but not just to me and my family, but to the church, that God would create this place, this vocation, this calling for such a time as this. This age that we live in is blessed to have the functioning and kingdom minded church. This, of course, means that we must take this vocation seriously, because we hold a precious gift in our hands that can shape the church and effect the world. The church really carries the hope of the World and there is much as stake in the kingdom when it comes to leading the church.
-Rob Deveney
