Grace Presbyterian Church, Montclair, New Jersey

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Pastor's Pulse

by Paul Leggett, Pastor

Leading Lives Worthy of Our Calling

October 2007

“I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called ….” – Ephesians 4:1

This past summer we focused on the theme of God’s call in Scripture.  We saw how time and again God called ordinary people like Abraham, Moses, Esther, Mary, Matthew and Peter into special service.  We saw how, empowered by his Spirit, these people made an enormous impact and were also built up in the confidence, hope and joy of God’s presence.  This fall we are looking at the theme of leading a “life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”  Granted that God calls all of us, how do we walk worthily of that calling?

In the past decade there has been a renewed emphasis on the church as a mission body.  The claim is made that in the New Testament mission is not something the church does so much as what the church is in its fundamental identity.  What is mission?  Mission historically has been defined as taking the Gospel into the world across cultural and social boundaries.  When the Holy Spirit told the church in Antioch to separate out Paul and Barnabas the purpose was for them to leave Antioch and go into both Asia Minor and Europe to bring the Gospel (Acts 13:1-3).  Today the “mission field” is all around us.  In our area we are surrounded by many different cultural, racial and ethnic groups.  Basically our whole American society is a foreign culture for us as Christians.  It isn’t just that people today question the Bible. They don’t even know what it says.

We are all called into mission.  Whatever our calling we are to lead lives worthy of that calling.  We need to remember that most communication is non-verbal.  Karl Barth made the point that the Christian life is more than justification (being forgiven of our sins) and sanctification (being conformed to the image of Christ).  It also involves vocation, which is our calling into mission.  We all have different callings, but each of us has been given some gift to be used in carrying out Christ’s mission (Ephesians 4:7-13).  It is in the fulfillment of this calling that we find the peace and joy which Christ promises each of us (John 14:27; 15:11).  We cannot live out our calling alone.  We need to be in close contact with other Christians.  This fall we are offering a variety of special groups and activities to help each of us in our walk of faith.  If you are not presently in some kind of group with other Christians call us at the church office (973-744-2565).

Join us as we together look at Biblical examples of walking worthily of our calling.