Author:  Mike Croghan

I grew up “unchurched”.  My family just weren’t churchgoers, so neither was I.  As a child, I was confirmed in the Episcopal Church, but that was about the end of my association with the Church until seven years ago, when I was 31.  I had an experience of hospitality and giving in a Southern Baptist church in southwestern Arizona (ask me about it some time) which led me to Google “Episcopal church Vienna Virginia” when I got home.  And that led me to the life I have today:  Episcopal layperson, “emerging church” practitioner, and committed (if stumbling) attempted Jesus-follower.

One of the first things I did after joining my Episcopal church was to take a “Journey in Faith” course from my Rector there, Fr. Rick Lord.  This was sort of the “Church 101″ class, and to be honest, it wasn’t exactly riveting.  But one thing galvanized me, and set the course of my life from then on.  ”All baptized Christians”, Fr. Rick said, “are called to ministry.”  Wait, what?  What does that mean?  Not just the “ministers” are supposed to minister?  And what about this “calling” business?  Who’s supposed to be calling me?

I spent several years after this trying to discern what that “calling” might mean to me.  I tried a whole bunch of different things:  I took courses to learn more about God, and about myself.  I volunteered in local missions / service organizations, in my church’s Adult Christian Formation programs, and as an usher and greeter.  I tried to create – and eventually did help found – a “young adults” fellowship group.  I began learning about alternative worship, missional church, and emerging church – and eventually became a part of a church that embodies all of these things.

This journey has taught me many things, but one of them is this:  I…you…we are the church.  And the church takes many, many different forms.  Just within the last couple of weeks, I’ve been a part of:

• A worship service in which we confessed – in prose, poetry, and just plain words – those things that we are waiting for this Advent, and grooooaned together with the creation and the Holy Spirit (see Romans 8:18-27) for the fulfillment of that waiting.
• A group of young adult Episcopalians who gathered in an Irish pub to discuss a theology book over a few pints.
• A collection of “neo-monastic” Christians – single and married – trying to follow Jesus by living together in intentional community.
• A “cohort” gathering (also in a pub) of Christians called to conversation about the church that is currently “emerging”.

If you feel that God is calling you to be the church – to be ministers, servants, worshipers, theologians, redeemers, welcomers, lovers – in ways that you are not doing now – then do not wait for someone to tell you you can do it.  Do it.  Get permission if possible.  If necessary, just get forgiveness.  If you want help or ideas, contact me:  mike (at) rudetheology (dot) com.

This Advent season is drawing to a close, and on Christmas Day we’ll celebrate the coming of the one we’ve been waiting for.  But that One – he called disciples, followers.  And he’s still calling followers.  And he said (John 14:12) that those followers would do even greater things than he did.

If you’re feeling that calling to do things differently, then I want to say to you: answer.  Because the one we’ve been waiting for this Advent is Jesus.  But the ones we’ve been waiting for to answer our call to be his church?

That’s us.

image by pfv. (rights)

Leave a Reply