How do you think about discerning God's call? Hopefully, saying it more precisely, if you think at all about if God wants you to do something, how do you go about securing that information? Many would object that such guidance isn't even possible, and to think that it is possible would render you dangerously arrogant as if you have a direct line to God. Secularists dismiss the input of God out of hand, like a kid's fantasy and just as unreal. The only thing most people in our generation consider is whether or not you want to do something or if it's possible.

It is a famous scene from Jurassic Park when scientific ethicist Ian Malcolm challenges park creator John Hammond. As they discuss the risks of opening such a park, Malcolm says, "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."

God's Word constantly brings into play the matter of should into our decisions, desires, priorities and values. Thankfully, we're not alone. The LORD is our Shepherd, and He leads us … (Psalm 23). And He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).

God's Word is filled with examples and promises of God providing guidance. First, there are His commands. Should I or should I not consider a possible opportunity — like a business, a marriage, or even something fun? What do God's commands say about the matter? In most instances, this first layer of guidance can clear up a decision, at least from the standpoint of whether or not I should pursue it. Second is godly counsel. What do wise, faithful people in my life advise me to consider? Is this a good fit for me? Is it a good time for me, given my existing priorities, commitments, or limits? Am I a good fit for the work so that I would be a blessing to others and not a burden?

Third is where we get into the realm specifically of calling. It combines two critical elements: desire and circumstances. Do you want to do this work — especially with a clear-eyed sense of realism about what the work will entail? And is there an open door?

Let me offer a hypothetical example. What if I woke up one day, excited by my memories of playing baseball and even prayed about it, and concluded that God is calling me to be a professional baseball player? I even have an in! My son-in-law is a scout for the Boston Red Sox. Is it enough if I just want to do the job? That would be desire, but conspicuously missing is the other half of the equation. Do the Red Sox have any desire to hire a 62-year-old, mediocre athlete with only a rusty sense of baseball nostalgia? Desire with no open door = no calling.

The opposite is true as well. I've been offered many pastoral jobs through the years. If a church in a gee-whiz city with an amazing congregation offered me a job as lead pastor, I have an open door. But I have no desire to do ministry anywhere else. An open door with no desire = no calling.

Instead, our denomination is (thankfully) set up to measure this very situation. The language our tradition uses is internal calling (that's the desire to do a particular work) and external calling (which is the open door, the actual job offer where someone says, "We WANT you for this particular work).

As we work genuinely to recruit a shepherding pastor, our leaders are looking at both aspects of this recipe. Can we find the man who wants to do the particular work of shepherding people in Trinity and in our community (he has a sense of internal calling) and is he the kind of person that we want to do this specific job (we are convinced enough to have a sense of external calling)? Interviews and conversations can help us discern all of these matters, but the conclusion will be when you (if you are a member) have an opportunity to vote. Our elders cannot hire an associate pastor until you are convinced that he is the kind of man that you would want for this role. And once we have sifted all of these factors — what God's Word says, what advisors and counselors say, and once we've agreed that a candidate wants to do the work that our people want him for, we will actually humbly and yet confidently say, "We believe this is God's leading!"

Please keep praying for this process as we work to find the shepherding pastor God has for us.