Lives Worthy of our Calling

Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill            The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3)

Specifically, what does it mean to lead lives worthy of our calling? 

My HarperCollins Study Bible tells me that scholars actually believe that St. Paul did not write this letter. Rather, they think that it may have been one of his disciples who penned it after St. Paul’s death. They also believe that the letter was not sent to any one church in particular but was a general letter written to all churches, specifically to the gentiles. 

Our churches, our country, and our world are in a time of great transition. Changes are frequent and the grounds of our being can feel shaky. Unlike today, where Israel and the Middle East have escalated into war and violence, there was no singular event, crisis, or occasion that precipitated this letter. However, the author of Ephesians was calling this Christian community, indeed begging them, to lead lives that were worthy of their calling, that included humility and gentleness, patience and peace, who were bonded together in unity and love.

Another shift in the letter to the Ephesians is about sin. When we listen deeply to the Spirit, we can acknowledge some truths about ourselves, how we have been “tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.” We can acknowledge that we have acted in ways not worthy of our calling as Christians. Whereas, previously, sin was seen as a hostile power, coming from evil spirits outside of our control, or from one country or leader against another, now sin was being viewed as individual trespasses. Something that was within their control.

The author of Ephesians had a purpose. He stressed that since the gentiles are now “in Christ '' they are no longer aliens to anyone, specifically to the Jews. Now “alien” is a buzzword these days; it is a trigger for so many people for various reasons. But the author of Ephesians is claiming that Jesus came to reconcile all people to God and to one another. There is “one God and Father of all,” the author wrote.

The ministry and mission of Jesus was one of reconciliation in a world of people who had become alienated from God and from one another for various reasons. In Christ, however, St. Paul had written to the Galatians that there was no longer Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free. In Christ, we are no longer foreigners or aliens to one another. Through Christ, we can maintain “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” We can speak the truth with love without fearing retaliation, condemnation, or imprisonment.

“One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.” wrote André Gide. “When we've let go of our old certainties but aren't yet established securely in the new, we may be afraid we’ll flounder forever,” the author wrote. (Todays’ Gift from Hazelden/Betty Ford,)  If we stay the course, however, we may be pleasantly surprised by our new discoveries. About ourselves and other people.

I like change and I love pilgrimages; and so I have gone to South Dakota, Ireland, Rome, Israel, and Spain on pilgrimages to let go of some of my old certainties. When I walked part of the Camino to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, I was in a time of transition from Connecticut to Massachusetts, from a settled cure in one parish to becoming a “free agent in Christ.” Walking helped heal my feelings of alienation during this time of great transition. The Spirit helped me to have faith and not fear that I would flounder forever. From foreign lands I could see our country, our culture, my church, and various people from different perspectives. I was pleasantly surprised.

“Unless we let go of the familiar, the safe, the secure; unless we take the risk of becoming vulnerable, we cannot grow. So much of the literature of the world is about this very theme. From the story of Abraham in Genesis, the great Exodus from Egypt, to the great epic stories of the Odyssey, the Iliad, the Lord of the Rings. They all require leaving everything and going on a journey that will lead to a new life, a new identity,” wrote Brother Geoffrey of SSJE. (Journey, Brother Give us a Word, 7/26/24)

One of the things that I have learned over time, through prayer and pilgrimages, is to pay attention to what the Spirit is saying. Indeed in our more contemporary Episcopal liturgies, the scripture readings are not followed by “The Word of the Lord” but rather by the words, “Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.” Clearly, to my mind, the Spirit is speaking to us even today, most especially in this letter to the Ephesians.

Recently I accepted a call to serve on the steering committee for the Friends of the Anglican Pilgrim Centre in Santiago de Compostela. After Jerusalem and Rome, Santiago is considered to be the third holiest pilgrimage site in all Christendom; and yet it was without a welcome center. The Bishop of the Spanish Episcopal Church wrote, “I envision an ecumenical place that would offer hospitality, learning, healing, hope and love to pilgrims at the end of their journey across Spain.” Responding to the Spirit’s calling, the Casa Anglicana was created; it is a place for pilgrims coming from around the world to be welcomed. It signifies “a unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Eugene Peterson translated the words in the letter to the Ephesians in this way: “In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk- better yet, run! - on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want any of you strolling down a path that goes to nowhere.”

Since walking part of the camino in Spain 10 years ago,  I continue to take a pilgrimage every day, one step at a time, one walk at a time, one day at a time. Wherever I am. If we want to lead lives worthy of God’s calling to us then we will let the Spirit lead us, honoring our baptismal vows. “Speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.”

In an article written by Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, entitled “Hungry for Physical Places,” he wrote, “I’ve come to regard pilgrimage as a journey with a holy purpose to a place of spiritual significance. Walking on pilgrim paths allows us to leave our psychological baggage and mental distractions behind, opening inner space for probing questions amidst changing landscapes. Questions like "Why am I?” “Who am I?” and  "Where am I?”(Christian Century (July 28, 2021)  And I would add, what gifts can I offer in Christ’s name?

We are all on various paths and at different ages and stages in our lives and on our journeys. In truth, our pilgrimages are everywhere, within these great walls and right outside our doors. When we pay attention to the Spirit of God calling us from the deep, we may not always be sure of our destination, but we can be assured of God’s companionship along the way. We can walk by faith and not fear. We can discover new lands, new ideas, and new opportunities to serve.

Given the gifts that God has given to you, how can you lead a life worthy of God’s calling? “It is easy to downplay the importance of lifting up our fellow pilgrims even though it is no small thing. We are powerful people! We can make a difference in people’s lives, for good or for ill. We can enhance people's lives when we encourage, support, and congratulate them. Today, make the world a little better by being in it,” wrote the author of Today’s Gift. (Hazelden Betty Ford, 7/26/24) 

Through the Spirit, with humility, gentleness, and patience we can be kind to one another and not critical. We can bear the transgressions of others with love as Christ loves us. We can walk, maybe even run on our own pilgrimages, playing the bit parts that each of us is called to play in this holy drama. 

Through Jesus, whose mission was one of reconciliation, we are no longer aliens, foreigners, or strangers to anyone. In Christ we are forgiven and set free to lead lives worthy of His call. To that end, every day we are invited to be on a pilgrimage, listening to the Spirit deep within us, acknowledging our sins, gaining new perspectives, and redirecting our lives. Offering our own unique gifts, we can become agents of God’s transformative love wherever we are on the journey.

Ephesians 4:1-16