What's God calling us to?

(Jonah)

Welcome and Introduction

Welcome to everyone, particularly want to welcome two groups of people:

- Some of our friends from St. Bart's school. Today is 'Education Sunday', and some of the children are playing a very special part in our service.

- We would also like to welcome the Vicker's family. (Not this vicar...)

Refreshments after the service.

Today is 'Education Sunday', and that's why we have so

Education is a process, of learning and training and preparing ourselves for the future.

I remember that when I was at junior school, people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. And I always said that I wanted to be a scientist.

(Talk about the sort of scientist who had flasks of bubbling blue liquids... black & white telly ...too young to have a chemistry set, so bought me a table full of custard powder, baking powder, vinegar.)

I wanted to be a scientist, what do some of the children want to be when they grow up? (Ask them)

To become these things there are many things that we need to learn, and to be trained in.

But you know, education isn't just for children. All of us continue to learn as long as we live. No matter how young, or how old we are, our lives are continually changing. And there are always new things that we can learn.

I never did become a scientist. (Ahh) By the time I had reached 16 I had changed my mind, and wanted instead to become an Engineer. And then when I was about 30, I felt that God was calling be to become a vicar. (And that's involved me learning a whole load of new things. ...and I've still got a few more years of training to still go.)

Christians believe that God wants to be involved in every part of our lives, ...including our jobs, and the things that we are learning and training for.

This is what we will be thinking about this morning.

Are we doing the things that God wants us to be doing?

...and does he want us to be doing the same things in 5 years time?

In other words, What is God calling us to?

(Stand)

Jesus we have promised to serve you to the end

Give us grace to follow, our Master and our friend

These words are taken from a well known hymn:

Song: 501 O Jesus, I have promised

(Sit or kneel)

Before we start to think about what God is calling us to, we must first acknowledge that there have been times in our lives when we have known precisely what we should have done, ...but have chosen to go our own way instead of God's way.

We ask God's forgiveness for our sins

God our Father, we come to you in sorrow for our sins.

For turning away from you, and ignoring your will for our lives;

Father forgive us: save us and help us.

For behaving just as we wish, without thinking of you;

Father forgive us: save us and help us.

For failing you by what we do, and think and say;

Father forgive us: save us and help us.

For letting ourselves be drawn away from you by temptations in the world about us;

Father forgive us: save us and help us.

For living as if we were ashamed to belong to your Son,

Father forgive us: save us and help us.

Absolution

May the God of love

bring us back to himself

forgive us our sins

and assure us of his eternal love

in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Stand)

Song: Lord I lift Your Name on high

Lord I lift Your Name on high

Lord I love to sing your praises

I'm so glad You're in my life

I'm so glad You came to save us.

You came from heaven to earth

To show the way

From the earth to the cross

My debt to pay

From the cross to the grave

From the grave to the sky

Lord I lift your name on high.

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God,

who calls your people to serve you in many different ways;

give us wisdom to discern your calling,

and courage to obey it,

that we may bring glory to you,

and draw all people into your kingdom;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(or ASB p787 for Vocations)

I mentioned earlier that we sometimes know what God wants us to do in our lives, but then decide to do the very opposite.

Well our Bible reading is about Jonah who did just that.

(OHP)

God told Jonah to go to the great city of Ninevah.

(OHP)

It was a city with about 120,000 people living in it, ...and many of these people were very bad.

But even though they were bad, God still loved them, ...and he called Jonah to go and warn them that they had better change their ways.

Some of the children will now tell us the story.

Dramatized Reading: Jonah 1.1-17

Talk (part 1): Resisting God's Call

How do you react when you're asked to do something that you don't want to do?

Let me ask the children. Your mum or dad has told you that you've got to tidy your bedroom, or do your homework; ...but you don't want to do it. What sort of excuses do you make?

(Write them up on the OHP)

Let me ask the adults. Someone has asked you if you would come and give a talk at a local meeting. And you don't want to. What sort of excuses might you give?

(Write them up on the OHP)

(Too busy, too tired, not got enough time, I'm doing something else that evening).

These are things we say, ...but often there is another reason underneath, ...I'm frightened, ...what will people think of me? ...I can't be bothered. (Write them up on the OHP)

Well Jonah knew that God had a special job for him to do, ...and he just didn't want to do it. It was no use making excuses like this to God, because he knew that God would see right through them. No, the only thing to do was to run away!

Ninevah was that way, ...so Jonah got on the first ship he could find going that way.

What about us?

Are we doing the things that God is calling us to?

Or are we making excuses?

Or are we simply running away?

(pause)

Jonah ran away, ...but God decided to give him a second chance. God sent a big fish that swallowed him up, and brought him back to dry land.

Then God spoke to Jonah a second time.

Dramatized Reading: Jonah 3.1-10

Talk (part 2): Responding to God's Call

So in the end, Jonah responded to God's call. And God used him in a great way to save the people of Ninevah.

But you might be thinking to yourself, "Well that was all very well for Jonah, ...but how exactly do we know what God is calling us to do?".

After all, the story of Jonah was written thousands of years ago. Does God still speak to people today?

Well, many Christians believe that God does speak to us today, in many different ways. And as an example of that, I just want to tell you about how I believe God spoke to me.

As I you know, I was an engineer, and was very happy as an engineer, ...but when I reached by late twenties I very much wanted to become a vicar. I prayed a lot about whether I should change jobs, but had no sense that that was what God wanted me to do.

For a couple of years I waited to hear God's call, but heard nothing. And then one morning...

(finish the story)

That's how I believe God spoke to me, ...but I have met many other people who have got a very different story about how God spoke to them.

Clergy often talk about being 'called' into ministry. But that's not the only thing that God calls people to do. At the minute, Jan feels very strongly that among other things God wants her to teach. God calls some people to be teachers, others to be nurses, ...and all sorts of things. He also calls many of us to do unpaid work, (both within the church, and elsewhere.)

So, are we doing the things that God wants us to be doing?

...and does he want us to be doing the same things in 5 years time?

The first step is to seriously ask God to show you what he wants you to do with your life. It may very well be the things that you do already, ...but you may be surprised to discover that God has got something new for you to do.

And it may take quite a while before you are sure of God's call, ...with me it took a few years.

But once we are sure that we know God's calling, the second step is to have the courage to respond. Don't be like Jonah, who ran the other away!

Song: 407 Let me have my way among you

We affirm what we believe about God

Let us declare our faith in God:

We believe in God the Father,

from whom every family

in heaven and on earth is named.

We believe in God the Son,

who lives in our hearts through faith,

and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit,

who strengthens us

with power from on high.

We believe in one God;

Father Son and Holy Spirit.

The Prayers

Led by children from St. Bartholomew's School.

...finishing with the Lord's Prayer.

Song: 572 Rejoice, rejoice! Christ is in you

Blessing

Almighty God,

who has saved you and called you to a holy life,

fan into flame the gifts that he has given you;

and the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,

be among you, and remain with you always. Amen.

Jesus we have promised to serve you to the end

Give us grace to follow, our Master and our friend