Well, it has taken almost 30 years in answering God's call, but the time is now at hand. Never make a promise to God you don't intend to keep - He will NOT let you out of the promise. Such has been true in my journey.
I knew in high school that I was being called by God to ministry. I just didn't know what form it would take or when it would begin. It seemed that roadblock after roadblock was placed in my path after telling God I would accept his call. Maybe to see if I would follow through with my promise... Maybe to see if I could be easily swayed away from God's call.
The final push that was given me by God was back in 2003-2004 when I landed in the hospital with 5 different deadly infections - anyone of which would kill a healthy person. In fact, the night I was admitted, my partner was told to prepare for my funeral. Over the next several months, through the prayers of my partner and family and what I can only conclude was a miracle from God, I survived, not only to simply exist, but to have my health restored pretty much the status it was prior to my being hospitalized so that I may fulfill my promise to God of serving other through ministry.
I asked God, why me? What is so special about me? Over the years I had turned my back on God, developed a horrible temper, constantly complained and wallowed in self-pity. And God still wanted me? Why? How in His Name could He use such a broken vessel. But I learned through my hospitalization during 2003 and 2004 that it is often those broken and tarnished vessels that God uses most to show his Grace, his Love, and his Mercy. My life experiences would become my testimony about how God never gave up on me, even when I gave up on Him. It was through my illness that God allowed my body to triumph so that I could fulfill the promise I made many years earlier to Him.
I always hesitate to use the phrase "God spared my life...". I always thought this was a selfish phrase because what about all those who do all the right things, follow God all their life, dedicate their every waking moment to Him, only to be struck down by bad things. Some preachers even go to the extent of adding insult to the faithful's injury by telling them that the tragedies were occurring in their lives because they have "lost their faith". Hog wash. Job never lost his faith, and yet he had tragedy after tragedy strike his life. Job was such a person. Here was a man who was a God-fearing man who dedicated his life to God, yet trial after tribulation, continuous tragedy after continuous tragedy struck Job, even when being dedicated to God, Job seemed to take two steps forward and 10 steps backward in his life.
So where am I at now? I'm currently writing my application to John XXIII Theological Institute to hopefully be accepted to their Master of Divinity Program (typical graduate degree that ministers, pastors and priest obtain to become ordained). The Master of Divinity Degree (3-Year Graduate Program) is designed to help prepare the candidates for full-time ministry. Since being spared my life by God, I know that God wants me in ministry and helping others heal, serve them when tragedy strikes their lives, and help others develop their faith as I continue to develop my own.
I have chosen an independent Catholic denomination (the American Catholic Church in the United States - ACCUS) in which to fulfill my ministry calling. Many chose the denomination in which they were reared in order to pursue a life ministry. I chose to look at the denominations currently available and select the one which best meets my simple personal theology - to Serve All. ACCUS, formed following Pope John XXIII's philosophy and Vatican II and following Pope Paul VI's simply ministry of "serving all", I too feel called to "serve all" in my ministry. It should not matter who one is... When one looks at the crucifix with Christ's arms wide open, he is inviting all persons, no matter what their station in life to come to Him. I truly felt pulled to ACCUS and I know that ACCUS currently does not have ministry in Indianapolis nor in Indiana at the moment. What a blessing it would be to provide ACCUS as an alternative for those who feel left out from other denominations, but also for Roman Catholics who feel the church is not fulfilling Vatican II as it was laid out. For these reasons, I feel called to fulfill my ministry through the ACCUS denomination.
So, this month I complete my application to ACCUS. It is a comprehensive application covering four (4) major parts. Not only does the application cover standard academic record questions as any graduate school would require including a copy of my BA degree, but also my school transcript for my BA degree. In addition it delves into the candidate's personal life, the candidates personal theology, and covers a complete and comprehensive background check. My current goal is to have my application completed and sent off by the end of November. The application will be submitted with all proper requested documentation as attachments as well as two (2) passport quality photos of myself in a blue or black suit and tie.
So as I continue to make entries into this blog, I hope you, the reader, will begin to understand that being called to ministry is only the first of many steps which are required before one is even considered for ordination within ACCUS (as most other mainline denominations).
Peace until my next entry,
Jeff
I have chosen an independent Catholic denomination (the American Catholic Church in the United States - ACCUS) in which to fulfill my ministry calling. Many chose the denomination in which they were reared in order to pursue a life ministry. I chose to look at the denominations currently available and select the one which best meets my simple personal theology - to Serve All. ACCUS, formed following Pope John XXIII's philosophy and Vatican II and following Pope Paul VI's simply ministry of "serving all", I too feel called to "serve all" in my ministry. It should not matter who one is... When one looks at the crucifix with Christ's arms wide open, he is inviting all persons, no matter what their station in life to come to Him. I truly felt pulled to ACCUS and I know that ACCUS currently does not have ministry in Indianapolis nor in Indiana at the moment. What a blessing it would be to provide ACCUS as an alternative for those who feel left out from other denominations, but also for Roman Catholics who feel the church is not fulfilling Vatican II as it was laid out. For these reasons, I feel called to fulfill my ministry through the ACCUS denomination.
So, this month I complete my application to ACCUS. It is a comprehensive application covering four (4) major parts. Not only does the application cover standard academic record questions as any graduate school would require including a copy of my BA degree, but also my school transcript for my BA degree. In addition it delves into the candidate's personal life, the candidates personal theology, and covers a complete and comprehensive background check. My current goal is to have my application completed and sent off by the end of November. The application will be submitted with all proper requested documentation as attachments as well as two (2) passport quality photos of myself in a blue or black suit and tie.
So as I continue to make entries into this blog, I hope you, the reader, will begin to understand that being called to ministry is only the first of many steps which are required before one is even considered for ordination within ACCUS (as most other mainline denominations).
Peace until my next entry,
Jeff
