A New Calling

Then God said to Jacob, "Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau." Genesis 35:1

A New Calling
By Rev. William Dohle

I knew a woman whose name was Juanita.  She was 84 years old.  She was in my Clinical Pastoral Education class.  And she was remarkable.

She was going to school to be a priest.  At 84 years of age!  She told me once had it worked out.  "I've been running away from God all these years," she said.  "84 years to be exact!  I always knew what I needed to be doing, but I was too stubborn to do it!  Now... I'm getting around to following God's calling for my life!"

At 84 years old she was to be ordained an Episcopal Priest and sent to work with the Native Americans in New Mexico.

Talk about a time to follow a new calling!

Just when she thought that her life should be nearing its end, God intervened and took her into a whole new direction.  A direction she was meant to go in all along!

That's what happened, I think, to Jacob after greeting his brother, Esau.  God comes to Jacob here and tells him to go an live in the place called the "House of God.", Beth-El in Hebrew.  There he's to settle and build an altar to God.

Jacob doesn't argue.  He doesn't ask any questions.  He doesn't give any excuses why he can't go, or what he has to do.  He clears his schedule and starts packing for Beth-El, deciding also to take this opportunity to set his life and the lives of his family right.

"Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you and purify yourselves and change your clothes," Jacob says.

His family obeys.  A whole new life opens up for them with all new horizons, directions, and goals.  No longer will they worship other gods.  No longer will they be wandering about aimlessly.  God has set them on the path to his house, to Beth-El.  There they will worship!

God calls each of us, in much the same way that he called Jacob.  Each of us have a calling.  A vocation.  In this place, this "house", God promises to meet us.  As we do his work in the world, God blesses our work.  When we are in tune with our vocation, our work in the Lord comes naturally as we use the gifts that God has given us.

I know what you'll say:  "But wait a minute, pastor.  Aren't vocations just for pastors?  I'm just a lowly mechanic?  Or farmer?  Or engineer?  Do I have a vocation, or calling, from God?"

Absolutely!  Vocations aren't just for clergy.  They're for everyone.  Everyone has been called into their individual roles.  And everyone is needed.  God has called some to be engineers, others to be mechanics, some to be stay-at-home mothers, and others to be clerks, some to be tellers and some to be executives.  Some to be mothers and fathers, and some just to be good sons and daughters.  God has called everyone into their vocations.  For he has made his home here amongst us.

When we choose to set aside the gods that distract us from our vocations.  When we, like Jacob, bury our gods under the tree which is the cross, then we will find new joy in our vocations, as we do the work that God has set before us to do.  We will find ourselves more focused at work.  More renewed at rest.  We will find that our calling is not a burden to us as it once was.  We will find God's voice whispering, calling, prodding and poking us to follow after him, to trust him, wherever he might lead.

So...what is God calling you to do?  What will you have to set aside to fulfill that calling?

God of Jacob, you called your servant to Beth-El to do your work in the world.  Call us to be blessings to others, even as we are blessed by you, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.