Responding to God's Call

“Now, Wendy, with your gifts and talents, don’t ever expect to come back home to be a pastor. Expect to go to Texas.” I remember specifically, the Bishop of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod, Ralph Dunkin, speaking these words to me the day that our Synod approved me to enter Seminary. I also remember my first response to his words, “But, I don’t want to go to Texas.”

In fact, this was not his last words to me on this topic, every step of the way through my candidacy process he would always close our conversation similarly. When I decided to do a two year internship (in Texas – I might add J), he again said to me, “Now, Wendy, don’t expect to come back home to be a pastor, I have way too many students graduating that year who also want to come home for you to come back. Besides, our Synod has never been granted more than one new pastor a year to serve in our Synod since we are so small.” Then when I told him I was engaged to another Seminary student who was to be a pastor he said, “Now, Wendy, don’t expect to come back home to be a pastor here, there is no place in our Synod that is big enough for two pastors.”

So, when the day came that the bishops of our church had convened and discerned just where all the 1st year candidates would go to serve their first call, you can only imagine my surprise, when Bishop Ralph Dunkin called me and said, “Wendy, welcome home, you and Craig have been called to the West Virginia-Western Maryland to serve for your first call.” And so my first words to him were, “How?” His simple response, “You are as surprised as I am. I never thought you would come back here, but I guess the Holy Spirit had different plans.” And so the Spirit led Craig and I to serve 8 years in the mountains of West Virginia for our first call.

I am always fascinated to see how the Holy Spirit calls. It is a journey and path that is unique to each and every one of us. For Samuel, God first called to him at night in the temple. For me, I heard the call sitting in the backseat of my grandparents’ car driving home from school. Just as Eli in the scripture struggled to see God’s call to Samuel, at first, so did my bishop struggle to see how it would be possible for me to ever be called back to my home synod. It was unclear at first, just where God was leading.

All of us are called by God. God guides each of us to different opportunities to bring us meaning and purpose to this life we have been given. In our baptism, God gives spiritual gifts that we are able to discern and share. Long ago, God called Samuel, a young boy, to remind the people that God was still with them. In my youth, God called me, a young girl, to become a pastor and return home to serve. God calls us in simple every day ways that can impact a situation more than we may even be aware. God calls us to life changing, faith taking, forever transforming ways. You may be called to share a smile and kind word with a stranger, you may be called to respond to someone with patience rather than reaction, to pray for a friend you haven’t thought of in years, you may even be called to move to a new place, take a new job, care for a loved one who is sick, the list is infinite. Yet, as I have learned after all these years, God’s call is one always to extend love. God’s call comes to each of us and each time we respond in faith; our lives are deepened and our purpose clarified.

Still, understanding God’s call takes time, it takes wisdom, patience and discernment, it takes understanding and faith. Eli was able to direct Samuel because he knew God’s voice, how to recognize and hear God. My home bishop was able to call and welcome me to West Virginia because he too had learned over the years how to trust God even when the odds and circumstances did not seem to lead one to the place they were headed. As we grow in faith, we learn to see, hear and recognize God more.

Join us in worship this Sunday whether in person, live streaming at our 9:30 or 11:11 worships virtually, zoom worshipping together or even on your own time through our Youtube channel. Let us take time to turn to God, respond to God’s call to worship and to work together as God’s people to grow in faith and our ability to recognize, see and hear just where God is calling us this day.

In Christ’s love and service,

Pastor Wendy