Dear St. Lukers,

All I can say is WOW! I’ve been part of this church family just at a month now, and I cannot begin to describe how warm a welcome I have received. It feels so good to be a St. Luker! But I have to be honest with you … it almost didn’t happen.

As some of you know, the opportunity to serve at St. Luke’s is not one I was expecting or looking for. For the last six or seven months, I had been leaning into God’s call to be engaged beyond one specific ministry setting, to serve as a coach and consultant to churches all over the country in my area of expertise, intergenerational church culture-building.

I felt strongly that God had called me to slow down during this time, to take a bit of a leap and move into the world of self-employment and freelance ministry. And just as I was settling into and accepting that call, Pastor Corey and Pastor Jenn threw a wrench in it!

I’ll be honest, there was a faith struggle. If God had called me to “jump” and embrace this call of freelance ministry, what was this opportunity? Was it a distraction, or a test? Was it a temptation? Was my previous understanding of where God was calling me mistaken, and this was my “real” new call?

Discernment has always been one of my strongest spiritual gifts. Helping individuals discern God’s call on their lives, throughout their lives, is one of my favorite parts of ministry. And yet, I was struggling with my own discernment. I believe the phrase “What the heck, Holy Spirit?” came out of my mouth more than once during my prayer time.

And yet, I was reminded of another time I was discerning a change in call, whether I should take one path or another, and I shared with a trusted mentor this struggle. His response rocked me: “What if they’re both right?”

So often, we think of calling as one singular, correct pathway that God is hiding from us until just the right moment. We think of calling as an either/or proposition. We think we have to figure out THE thing God is calling us to.

And yet, God’s call is so much more complicated than that … and so much simpler.

God doesn’t give us A call (singular), but rather God gives us callingS (plural). God didn’t change God’s mind in calling me to St. Luke’s – this was another call God was giving me, and God laid them side by side to be in cooperation with each other, not as a replacement or in conflict.

Chances are, you’re already living out multiple callings. Are you a professional? A parent? A friend? A volunteer? See! God has already called and empowered you to multiple callings!

Where is God calling you this week? This month? What new things might God be calling you to? Come say hello Sunday (I’ll be preaching in Contemporary!) and let me know where God is calling you …

Blessings,

Melissa

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