9th Day of Lent
Leaving Things and People Behind
"Immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him." Matthew 4:22

I made the decision to go to seminary and become a pastor fairly early in life.  I was a sophomore in college at the University of Minnesota.  The only thing I really left behind was organic chemistry , hardly a major sacrifice. (Katy Lambson, organic chem prof., may disagree :) ) After graduating from college I went right into seminary, completed my four years, and then to my first call as associate pastor at Augustana Lutheran Church in W. St. Paul, MN.

In seminary there were a number or people who had previous careers, and then felt God's call and decided to go to seminary and prepare for the ministry.  In many cases they did so with great sacrifice, uprooting their families, giving up good paying jobs, and moving to St. Paul, MN. on a journey without a known ending.  I always admired people who did that, people who sensed God's call and stepped out in faith.

Simon and Andrew, two brothers in the family fishing business, were kind of like second career pastors.  They had good lives, a successful business,and yet were called to something new and different.  As Marty writes, "Something very special is going on here.  God, through Jesus, is beginning a new work which needs new workers."  I believe God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is always beginning new work that needs new workers.  God may not call us to new careers (although sometimes God does!), but God may call us to be involved with something new to further God's kingdom.  To what new work may God be calling you?