Sunday, July 6, 2025

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-8

Sermon Title: “The Call of Abram”

I was twelve years old when I first felt this stirring of a call to ministry. I know that sounds crazy to say out loud, but it’s true. And so I want to remind us that we never know what kind of work the Spirit is doing in the lives of the young people among us. I was in 7th grade, going through Confirmation at my local United Methodist Church in Lima, Ohio. I can remember sitting in our chapel and our associate pastor was giving us a lesson on the means of grace; the ways we experience God’s grace. And I’ll admit I don’t remember much of her lesson that day.

But I do remember God showing up. Now, I didn’t see the parting of the clouds from heaven, I didn’t hear a booming voice saying, “Katie, be a pastor.” I don’t know about you all, but I have never heard God speak in an audible voice. Not saying God doesn’t speak that way to some people. But God usually speaks to me through a feeling. Or often through other people and scripture. It can be easy to be jealous of those who experience God speaking through visions, dreams, or an audible voice. But this is a good reminder to all of us, God speaks to each and everyone of us differently, and the way God speaks to one person is no better or worse than how God speaks to another person.

So as I was sitting in our chapel, and as my pastor spoke to us about the means of grace, I felt that God was calling me to do what she was doing in that moment. I was called to teach others about God. I was called to bring others the good news of Christ. I was called to be a pastor.

Now I wish I could say I raised my hand or ran up to the altar right away and told my associate pastor that I felt that God was calling me to be a pastor. But I did not do this. I was a quieter, shyer kid. I thought there was no way I could be a pastor. Especially the idea of getting up and preaching every Sunday sounded terrifying.thought I could never do that.

You don’t know my daughters yet, but you’ll get to know them. Ellie is our oldest. She is 6 years old. Isla is 4. And Ellie is our super outgoing child who doesn’t know a stranger. Sometimes it scares me a little that she doesn’t know a stranger. Except Bob Carpenter will think I’m making this up because last night when he dropped off food, that was the most shy I’ve seen Ellie. Again, thank you to everyone who has brought us food this week. We have felt so spoiled by you all. Isla on the other hand is a little slower to warm up. You can keep them straight Extroverted Ellie and Introverted Isla. And I was more like Isla as a child.

So I ignored this calling, this feeling that God was calling me to be a pastor. But it wasn’t just that I ignored this calling. I did not want to be a pastor.

You see, I had two heart surgeries as a child. I grew up going to yearly heart checkups. And so for as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a doctor. I loved all things medical, especially medical dramas like ER and later Grey’s Anatomy. Truly, I wanted to help other kids like me. That was my plan for my life.

But God ruined my plans. Anyone ever had God ruin their plans before?

Thankfully though, when God ruins our plans, it’s usually because God’s plans are better than our own.

And although I ignored this calling, although I often thought there was no way thatI could be a pastor, I still felt God calling me to be a pastor. Especially throughout my years of youth group. I always felt God’s call the strongest during mission trips, retreats, youth conferences, you get it. It’s often in those times when we get away from the busyness and distractions of everyday life that we are more attuned to hear God’s voice.

So I graduated high school, went off to college at Ohio State, and was planning on being a pre-med biology major. But I soon learned that I was terrible at math and chemistry. And so I quickly changed my major to psychology, thinking maybe I’d do something like counseling or social work, still hoping to help people.

But I still always felt God calling me to pastoral ministry.

Then the summer going into my Senior Year of College I was an intern in the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. This was an internship program for college students discerning a call to ministry. I served at a church in Athens, Ohio where Ohio University is, not to be confused with Ohio State. I preached that summer, something I never thought I could do. It went well. And I came away from that summer feeling like I couldn’t imagine doing anything else with my life other than being a pastor.

So I finished my senior year of college, graduated from Ohio State, and applied to Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY.

While in seminary, I met my husband Jesse, who was getting a degree in worship. He’s from Ormond Beach. We got married while in seminary.

And then we had to discern the next step in my call story, where we would move to. Would we go to Florida or Ohio?

Now I know you’re Floridians, so you would assume that this decision would come easy for us. It did not. I love the seasons in Ohio; I love the style of homes and now that I’ve purchased my first home I will also add I love the home prices in Ohio too. I love that so much of my family lives in Ohio. I did not want to move to Florida, I came to Florida a little reluctantly, but I felt that God was calling me to Florida. And so I relate to Abram’s call to leave behind all that he knew to go to the land the Lord would show him.

My first appointment was to Highlands UMC in Jacksonville. That’s where both of our girls were born. Then the last 3 years I served at Community UMC just 20 minutes away in Daytona Beach. And now I am so excited to be serving here at Tomoka. I am so excited to be your new pastor.

So that’s a little about me and my call story.

But the truth is, whether we’re pastors or not, we all have a call story. We all maybe have multiple call stories throughout our lives. Times where God speaks, whether audibly, through another person, maybe simply a feeling, a vision, dream, you name it.

This month we’re going to be looking at call stories in scripture. One, because it’s a great way to introduce myself and my call to ministry. But two, it’s a great way to get us all thinking about our own callings, what is God calling us to now, and what is God calling us to in this next season of Tomoka UMC?

This morning, we heard the call story of Abram. The Lord will change Abram’s name to Abraham, but here he is still just Abram. Abram will be the patriarch of Israel.

Now I know we have a lot of retired people in the congregation. Maybe some of you thinking, callings are for younger people. I’ve lived out my calling. But just a reminder, Abram was 75 years old when he set out from Haran. So I don’t think the Lord is done with you yet, no matter your age. This week I was in a prayer meeting and someone mentioned that they median age of the Nurture Committee was 75, and I couldn’t help but think of Abram, and how you all are in good company. The Lord is calling young people like me at age 12, and the Lord is calling 75 year olds, and everyone in between as well.

But the first verse of today’s scripture really summarizes Abram’s call.

Genesis 12:1, “The Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”

Think about this for a moment. How terrifying that must have been for Abram. At 75 years old to be called to leave your country, your people, and your father’s household. Abram is being called to leave all that he knows, all that is familiar behind. And he isn’t called to plan and lead where he is going. No, Abram will go to the land that the Lord will show him.

Are there things the Lord is calling you to leave behind so that you can follow the Lord? Now no, it might not be leaving your country, your people, and your household, but it might involve leaving behind expectations and your own ideas of how things should unfold. It might be that the Lord is calling you to leave behind your pride, leave behind power and prestige, leave behind the things that are not of Christ. Maybe leaving behind negative attitudes.

What is God calling you to leave behind to follow God’s call for your life?

And where is God calling you next?

Perhaps its simply to a deeper relationship with Christ.

In Os Guiness’s book “The Call,” Guinness writes, “Our primary calling as followers of Christ is by him, to him, and for him. First and foremost, we are called to someone (God), not to something (such as motherhood, politics, or teaching) or to somewhere (such as the inner city or Outer Mongolia.)”  

Don’t you love that? Our primary calling is to someone, not something or somewhere.

So maybe in these next few weeks as we wrestle with the idea of our calling, maybe don’t focus first on the something or the somewhere. Maybe don’t focus on what you are called to do or where you are called to go. Maybe spend some time praying that you would simply grow deeper in your faith and have a deeper relationship with Christ. And that through this calling, you would be transformed. That you would first be called deeper to Someone.

Maybe this means joining a Bible Study course like Disciple when they are offered in the Fall or joining Sunday School. Maybe this means participating in new spiritual disciplines or practices you haven’t before. How are you being called to connect more deeply with Christ?

But then after the primary calling to Somone, comes the Secondary Calling. This is the call to the something and the somewhere. So I want us to also be praying about what God is calling us to do, and where God is calling us to go.

Be praying about this in your personal life, and for us the Body of Christ, Tomoka UMC. What is God calling us to do? And where is God calling us to go?`

Maybe for you, God is calling you to step into a volunteer role if you aren’t currently volunteering in any way. Perhaps that’s one of our many missions. I met with Linda Silber this week and I was so impressed to hear about all of your many missions. Family Renew, Halifax Urban Ministries, Palmetto House, Cuba, etc. Forgive me if I am leaving anything out. Begin praying about if God is calling you to support or be a part of these missions. And Linda is going to tell us more about them next week.

Perhaps God is calling you to start something new. I’m excited to attend my first Dinner Church tomorrow evening. And I know that was something new at one point. That might have even seemed scary in the beginning planning stages. Some of you might have even thought, this will never work.

Is there something new that God is calling you to do here at Tomoka?

Where is God calling us as the Body of Tomoka UMC? What is God calling us to do and where is God calling us to go?

When we hear “go” we often think of faraway places. For us we might even think of our Cuba partnership. But the call to “go” might just be walking across the street to serve at Tomoka Elementary. The call to “go” might be driving down to Palmetto House to serve a meal. The call to “go” might simply be visiting a shut in from our congregation.

Where is God calling you to go? Where is God calling us as Tomoka UMC to go?

I don’t have the answers to these questions yet, but I encourage us all to be praying about that. What is God calling us to do and where is God calling us to go?

May we hear God’s call, and may we listen and be obedient, just like Abram. Even if it means leaving things behind. Even if it means going to new lands that the Lord will show us. Let’s follow where God leads.

Amen