Universal Call

I sat, listening, while clergy colleagues discussed the strengths and challenges of the contemporary Church. There was a general understanding in the room that each pastor present shared a passion for the present and future of the Church of Jesus Christ. The strengths were grouped around people and their potential...even sometimes their actions. The people of the Church fuel its programs, projects, mission and ministry, after all.

Hours passed as the clergy in attendance celebrated the contributions made by faithful men and women. The stories were uplifting. Many of the contributions were miraculous. The morning passed rather swiftly.

After lunch, the topic shifted from the Church's strengths to its challenges. Amid the general negativity around congregational program and planning came a comment that commanded the attention of every present pastor. A young(ish) woman, who had recently graduated from seminary and had only a few years ago begun serving her first church, lamented the fact that she has to fight the church that she serves in order to get the members to accept their universal calling.

There was a general acknowledgement in the room. There was a shared understanding. Pastors have to fight the churches that they serve over the theology of universal calling.

Perhaps folks are more familiar and more comfortable with the Reformation notion of "The Priesthood of all Believers." This is the notion that claims that every person who accepts Christ Jesus is empowered, equipped and enabled to represent Christ in ministry and service. Every believer is priest.

Universal calling goes deeper. Universal calling is the idea that every person, by virtue of being saved in the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ Jesus, is equipped, enabled, called and sent to represent Christ's grace in the world. Calling is a product of our salvation. It is not restricted to those who will be educated, earn titles, be professionals, make money or suffer the indignities of being clergy in the post-modern age.

By afternoon's end, there was almost unanimous agreement around the room. The great challenge of the post-modern church is its refusal to embrace universal calling. Theologically, universal calling is a foundation of the progressive church. Practically, the future of the Church lies in the ministries and missions of men and women in our churches.

Clergy have contributed to the reluctance of the church to accept its universal call. Instead of serving as networkers of the natural gifts and talents of the congregation, and instead of seeing the clergy role as better equipping the persons who portray the gifts for ministry, clergy have become experts in doing all facets of congregational ministry. Instead of calling congregations to accountability for utilizing their own gifts and accepting their own calling, too many of us have done all the work for our churches. In so doing, we rob the men and women of the church of their natural, universal calling.

The church is reluctant now to acknowledge that each is called to ministry and service. For far too long, the work has been done for the men and women of the church by clergy who seek to please, or who seek to demonstrate their professional status, or to be Messiah. The toll taken by doing so has been destructive to the person-in-ministry. Worse, it has usurped from the good men and women of the church their own empowerment, sense of calling, and accountability for doing the work of ministry and mission.

Shiloh focuses on universal calling. We say, and I sincerely hope that we believe, that each of us is called, equipped, empowered and sent. The power of God's Holy Spirit rests equally upon and within each of us. While the great challenge of the church might be its refusal to accept and practice universal calling, Shiloh is attempting to make manifest a community of called and empowered agents of Christ Jesus. The work is both daunting and exciting. Come and join us!

See You Sunday!