Attention

The Adoration of the Magi tapestry dating from 1894 from the Manchester Metropolitan University, England. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons: retrieved via umc.org

Let’s be real, us Church folk often talk about “calling” in a way that provides initial inspiration, but little direction. 

Well intentioned messages on finding your calling are often characterized by spectacle, good feelings, and big picture ambition. Though it can certainly give a spark, it can also leave hungry folks feeling burned out, confused, and even filled with self-doubt when the rubber hits the road.

Do you know that feeling? I sure do. I have often felt on the “outside” when comparing myself to those that seemingly had no delay in discerning a calling upon initial inspiration. Spectacular moments work for some, indeed! However, I think there are ways to engage the conversation that are more helpful for all involved. One such way is exhibited through a sacred day in the life of the Church that we celebrate this week: Epiphany. 

If you aren’t familiar with it, Epiphany is the day Christians remember the coming of the Magi to visit Jesus, bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. More than mere recollection, this day is celebrated as the first revelation of the incarnation of God in Christ to a hungry humanity. 

We don’t know much about these Maji, but what we can safely assume is that they were folks “from the East” who would’ve been well-schooled in the Eastern philosophies, theology, and sciences. Nonetheless, they weren’t the folks of the religious “in-crowd” that you’d expect to be the first to encounter the fulfilled promise of the Messiah. As educated and connected as they were, they had probably tried it all; books, magic, astrology, and resources galore, and yet were still left wanting. Needless to say, these weren’t folks who had it all figured out.

Rather, they were folks who simply saw a star in the sky that they knew to be special, even as the chief priests of Israel paid no mind to it. They were ones who were willing to follow that star until they found the blessing it led to. Simply put, they were willing to grant the attention necessary to see the fulfillment of the greatest promise of all: that God is indeed with us. 

In a time where immediate gratification has, in my view, made its way into church culture in an increasingly worrisome manner, it’s time for us to revisit the lesson of Epiphany by recapturing the sacred art of attention. 

The pursuit of the life God intends for us was never meant to be rooted in spectacle, but rooted in faithful attention to the often subtle ways that God guides us on a journey. In scripture, the sources of the in-breaking of God’s Kingdom are typically simple things: a mustard seed (Matthew 13: 31-32) unembellished prayers (Matthew 6: 7-14), and for the Magi, and ultimately all of humanity, a newborn child of a carpenter and young woman laying in a cow trough. All of these things are unspectacular at first glance...but when granted the attention necessary, it is through them that we find the Kingdom of God breaking into our lived experience. 

It is through them that we cultivate a culture where no one gets overlooked. 

What does all of this have to do with discerning a calling? First off, if you find yourself hungry for more clarity on what you’re called to do, try not to give in to doubt. The Magi clearly had that hunger in abundance. Hunger isn’t a sign of God’s absence, it’s a sign that the Spirit is working within you. Remember the words of Christ: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” He didn’t say “blessed are you who were once hungry for you are now filled.” There is blessing in your hunger; God’s up to something! 

Secondly, be patient with yourself. Instead of obsessing over what you’ll be doing years from now, give prayerful attention to what a next step of faithfulness can be. Feel a hunger to feel more connected to God? Set up intentional time with your pastor and invest in a small group! Feel a hunger to impact those who are younger than you? Ask how you can volunteer with your church’s youth group! Feel a hunger to be a light to folks outside the church? Check out which campus organization you can get involved in and make new connections! Whatever it is, be like the Magi who simply began a journey in response to their hunger, even though they didn’t know where it would lead. 

Lastly, no matter where you are on your journey of discernment, remember to pay attention to the small ways in which God reveals His presence to you. Remember that blessing is not simply found in your end goals, but through the love that you experience throughout the seasons of your life. Pay attention to the friends you see each day and let those relationships sharpen your character and animate your joy. Pay attention to the random encounters you have with the strangers that God so enjoys speaking through (Hebrews 13:2). Pay attention to the moments where your plans are interrupted, for God has a unique way of revealing something new through interruption.

Pay attention to all of these things. They aren’t flashy. They don’t give immediate gratification. Better than that, they give you formation that steadfastly makes you come alive and become more attune to the living God. 

And remember...your primary calling is one that God fulfills on your behalf: to be His child. So don’t treat discernment as a manner of proving yourself. Rather, be like the Magi. Come to Jesus. Bring your gifts. Kneel down and adore Him knowing that whatever noble calling you pursue is but a response to a love so freely given for hungry folks like you and me.

Thanks be to God.