This piece is a personal one, my personal calling is a journey that grows and shifts over time. The brief was to create a reflective item for use in worship on the theme of calling, including something of my own experience. I chose to shape an entire service around that theme. What follows is most of the material as I submitted it. It isn’t the full service, but it should give a sense of the journey — and I hope it offers something that helps you explore calling and what it might mean in your own life.
Whilst I could give the full service script here are parts of the service I led at Bradfield on the 9th February 2025. I am pulling out the parts that are particularly relevant to this project. I split the sermon into 3 parts with the exogenesis being straight after the readings then other items and then the sermon, which is why it is shorter. also the exogenesis for the 1st reading is only partly copied here as the first part was not relevant to the idea of calling per say. lastly prayers and hymns were also picked to help the overall theme but have not been included here.
Call to Worship
Welcome, friends. Today, we gather to reflect on God’s call in our lives. As Isaiah heard the Lord’s voice saying, “Whom shall I send?” and responded, “Here am I; send me,” we too are called to respond to God’s invitation.
Jesus called His first disciples, saying, “Follow me,” and they left everything to follow Him. Let us come before the Lord with open hearts, ready to listen and follow His call. Let us worship the Lord together!
1st Reading Isaiah 6:1-8,(9-13) (dramatized)
Whilst the first reading was dramatized, I am sorry all i can offer you at the moment is a quote of the reading, in my submission I did not offer the reading but for you here I believe it is good and proper to share it before we move on. please note I am using the New Living Translation (NLT)
Isaiah’s Cleansing and Call
6 It was in the year King Uzziah died[a] that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 They were calling out to each other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!”4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.
5 Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”
8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here I am. Send me.”
9 And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people,
‘Listen carefully, but do not understand.
Watch closely, but learn nothing.’
10
Harden the hearts of these people.
Plug their ears and shut their eyes.
That way, they will not see with their eyes,
nor hear with their ears,
nor understand with their hearts
and turn to me for healing.”[a]11 Then I said, “Lord, how long will this go on?”
And he replied,
“Until their towns are empty,
their houses are deserted,
and the whole country is a wasteland;
12
until the Lord has sent everyone away,
and the entire land of Israel lies deserted.
13
If even a tenth—a remnant—survive,
it will be invaded again and burned.
But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down,
so Israel’s stump will be a holy seed.”Quick post reading Chat/reflection
In its original context, this passage reflects a time of political and social upheaval following King Uzziah’s death. Isaiah’s vision serves as a divine commissioning, reassuring him of God’s sovereignty and calling him to a prophetic mission. The vision emphasizes God’s holiness, the need for purification, and the readiness to respond to God’s call.
For us here today now, Isaiah 6:1-8 serves as a powerful reminder of God’s holiness and our need for purification. It challenges us to acknowledge our shortcomings and trust in God’s transformative power. The passage also calls us to be attentive to God’s voice and ready to respond to His call, just as Isaiah did.
In the context of our service, this passage reinforces the themes of calling and trust. It encourages you the congregation to reflect on your own experiences of God’s call and to respond with faith and willingness to serve. Or at least I hope it does.2nd Reading Luke 5:1-11 (NLT)
The First Disciples
5 One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee,[a] great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon,[b] its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”
5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.
8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.
Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.
Quick post reading Chat/reflection
Luke 5:1-11 describes the calling of the first disciples, focusing on Simon Peter. Jesus, teaching by the Lake of Gennesaret, asks Peter to put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch. Despite a night of unsuccessful fishing, Peter obeys and is rewarded with a miraculous catch of fish. Overwhelmed by the miracle, Peter recognizes his own sinfulness and unworthiness. Jesus reassures him, saying, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” Peter, along with James and John, leaves everything to follow Jesus.
For the people of its time, this passage demonstrated Jesus’ divine authority and power. It was written for early Christians to illustrate the transformative power of Jesus’ call and the importance of faith and obedience. The miraculous catch of fish served as a sign of God’s provision and the abundance that comes from following Jesus.
For us today, Luke 5:1-11 serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of faith and obedience in our own lives. It challenges us to trust in Jesus’ guidance, even when it seems counterintuitive. The passage also calls us to be attentive to God’s voice and ready to respond to His call, just as Peter did. In the context of our service, this passage reinforces the themes of calling and trust, encouraging us to reflect on our own experiences of God’s call and to respond with faith and willingness to serve.
Sermon
My calling was not a sudden, dramatic moment but rather a journey that unfolded over many months and years. I often ignored it, yet I kept hearing people tell me I needed to become a preacher. The problem was, I already had a calling—I was doing voluntary youth work. I didn’t see room for anything else on top of my youth work, my day job, and being a dad to three kids, now also two grandkids, and a husband.
I can’t point to one specific moment when I was called; it was many things—people saying things in conversations, sometimes people I didn’t even really know. My best friend Martyn, a URC Minister who was my minister at Christ Church in Woodley for a while, has always been supportive in exploring my faith and the ability I seem to have to share it. He encouraged me to start a CafePraise service and helped me understand how to let God work through me.
Then there were other experiences, like the time I encountered a homeless man at Waterloo Station. I was late for the train, and there was a beggar politely asking for money for some food. I don’t carry cash and pay for everything by card. I was late, and if I stopped to talk, I would miss the train. Yet, that’s what I found myself doing. I invited him to dine with me, gave him a choice of fast food outlets, and off we went to McDonald’s. We ate, we chatted, and I missed two further trains. I am reasonably sure God acted through me to help that man, but I am even more sure He acted through that man to talk to me, to help me, and reassure me.
My journey has had some knocks. I never gave up on the youth work, or at least not initially. Then COVID came, and tech at my church was what was needed from me. I gave up on being a local preacher, but here I am again. My time was reset, and still, I am not giving it all I should or could. I gave up on scouting mostly; now I am just on the board of trustees for the Wokingham Waterside Centre on behalf of Wokingham Scouts, and I am part of the trustees for Wokingham Scouts. Work has become more stressful as I am an energy manager in what was unprecedented times, and to top it all, I took on an apprenticeship at work to upskill my data analysis. However, I can see the end of my apprenticeship and am now in the habit of study. God sometimes takes things into His own hands, sometimes in ways we do not like. For me, I am lucky He appears to have shown great patience with me, and I feel blessed to be supported by so many in my calling. Just 2 weeks ago I had resolved to call our superintendent and tell him I am done. Then last week I preached at Emmanuel oxford road and I felt God, I felt him whilst I was leading that worship, I felt him in the little lad that came in the service and asked to hug me, then sat on the stage with me as I let prayers. I felt him in my heart, in the words that flowed and in the love shared by that congregation afterwards. I know I have to follow him.
But enough about my calling; let’s now explore the many callings people may have in a Christian setting.
In our Christian communities, callings can come in many forms, both big and small. Some may feel called to preach or lead, while others might find their calling in acts of service, like volunteering at a food bank, teaching Sunday school, or simply being a supportive friend. Each calling is unique and valuable, contributing to the body of Christ in different ways.
We can support others in exploring and understanding their callings by encouraging them to listen to God’s voice, just as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:1-8. Isaiah’s vision of the Lord on His throne, the seraphim proclaiming His holiness, and the cleansing of his lips with a live coal all led to his readiness to respond to God’s call with, “Here am I; send me!”
Similarly, in Luke 5:1-11, we see Simon Peter’s journey from doubt to faith. Despite his initial reluctance, Peter obeys Jesus’ instruction to let down the nets and witnesses a miraculous catch of fish. This experience leads him to recognize Jesus’ divine authority and respond to His call to become a “fisher of people.”
These readings remind us that God’s call can come in unexpected ways and at unexpected times. They challenge us to be open to His guidance and to support one another in our journeys of faith. Whether our calling is to lead, serve, teach, or simply be present for others, each role is essential in building a strong, vibrant Christian community.
Let us encourage one another to explore our callings, to trust in God’s transformative power, and to respond with faith and willingness to serve. Just as Isaiah and Peter were called and transformed, so too can we be instruments of God’s love and grace in the world.
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