Called

A not so unusual exchange for me:

“Skip Burke. Is that your legal name?”

Well, no, it’s William M. Burke. 

“You’re in your seventies and you’re still called Skip?”

Yes sir, I probably wouldn’t respond to anything else. 

Actually, Skip doesn’t seem overly childish to me.  After all, Skip was a real upgrade in my teen years from the original Skipper. And Skipper was definitely a step forward from the name my Nanny tried to attach to me as a toddler…Sunshine. (Diane is adamant that if, in my first call to her, I had identified myself as Sunshine Burke, the “us”would never have happened.) Hopefully you are called something more adult sounding, like John, or David, or Ann.

My earliest recollection of being called was by my Mother. I have vivid memories from seven or eight years old, playing baseball in the McNish backyard up on Dearborn Drive, and faintly hearing my mother call out “Skipper…  time for supper.” And then, after not responding, hearing her a bit louder calling as she headed up Dearborn: “Skipper Burke, come home NOW to supper.” I then would head home not wanting the embarrassment of her actually reaching the outfield where the older guys would see her. 

Funny that my mother would walk a block and a half to make sure I heard, even though she was only calling me home for my own benefit. I loved food.

I guess the name I was called wasn’t nearly as important as who was calling, and why I was being called.  That’s still so true today. 

We are constantly being called. My phone just now chimed, and I didn’t know the number displayed, so I, with a light touch, dismissed the call to voicemail.  But when Diane calls, her name and photo pop up, and I answer immediately.

If I saw a call coming in from The White House, or even better, from Tim Corbin, head coach of Vanderbilt Baseball, I would be quite surprised. I would drop whatever I was doing to give the call my full attention.  It matters immensely who is calling.

How much more amazing that God…the creator of the universe…the Almighty Lord of everything, calls me…and you. And in most cases, calls us over and over again. If we don’t respond; even though the reason for His calling is totally for our own good, He continues to call. Like my mother walking up Dearborn Drive, He pursues us, calling us home to what is best for us. And not just calling us by name, but calling me His child.

If you’ve read my recent blog posts, you know that I’m about eight weeks into clarifying “what I’m trying to say “ in a single sentence. Maybe you joined me in that adventure. I’m not finished yet, still prayerfully, carefully considering my words. But, I do know that I must begin my statement by affirming that God calls us.

It is so fundamental to my spiritual journey especially when I heed the admonition of Paul when he tells us:

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.”‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬.  I remember all too well. I desperately needed a savior.

The verse quoted from 1 Corinthians 1 is only one of over forty times in his New Testament letters that Paul references God calling. And, although we tend to think that he is referring to a personal commission to preach, only two of those forty are such. All others refer to the process of God drawing His people to Himself.

I firmly believe that God calls us. 

Before we might be ready to respond; 

before we might even recognize the caller; 

before we fully know the purpose.

A series of calls that might 

be recognized only in hindsight. 

He calls us, 

Sometimes very specifically, 

often very softly, 

sometimes more like a friendly nudge, 

or a gentle whisper 

Burrowing its way through our hearts and our minds.

You can probably point back to times that His Spirit was drawing you to Him; to the forgiveness and new life on offer. I certainly can. More times than I like to admit, I ignored…yet He persisted.

When you stop to remember what you were when He called you…are you as amazed as I am: 

that He cared so much, 

gave so much, 

and offered so much? 

That He sought me out…

called me to accept His gift?

Remember the old hymn written by Will Thompson in 1880?

‘Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, 

calling for you and for me…

Come home, come home; 

you who are weary come home; “

There are a lot of things going on in this world to make us weary…probably many things going on in each of our lives that make us weary…and there He is, calling us to come home to Him.

So…drawing from God’s word, and from my own experience…I must affirm that the first part of “what I’m trying to say is:”

God calls us…

Have you heard His call? Do you remember what you were when He called you?  Have you responded?