Living Into My Lay Leadership Vocation

As you’ve (hopefully) heard before, LiVE offers education opportunities for lay people, with the goal of forming Christian leaders able to make sense of God’s world and our place in it.    

The work of LiVE is very close to my heart because I now consider myself a lay leader in the Northwest Washington Synod, ELCA and in my local congregation. However, had you asked me a few years ago, I would not have confidently claimed that title. It was because two pastors saw a passion in me and freed me to exercise leadership within that passion, that I am now fully living into my lay leadership vocation… and LOVING it!   

Ever since Middle School, I’ve had an interest in studying the Bible. Fast forward to a few years ago. In my free time I had started a personal study of the Bible from various viewpoints- including the historical Jewish lens in which most of it was written. This opened all sorts of new and surprising insights I had never seen before; from these stories I’d heard a hundred times! I likened my Scripture study to an Easter egg hunt. Within every story I found hidden meanings I had been previously unaware of! My study felt like a spiritual feast that I wanted to share with others – but how to invite them to the table? I wasn’t an ordained minister. I didn’t have a seminary degree. I had no authorized credentials to teach the Bible to adults. One role I did have was as a mom, and so I settled for writing down my Scripture studies in notes that I would share with my boys when they were older. I resigned myself to my preconceived notion that no seminary degree and no ordination, meant no adult Bible teaching opportunities.   

Then two seemingly insignificant things happened that changed everything. First, about two years ago, in an adult faith formation discussion on the gifts of the apostles (1st Corinthians 12:27-30), my pastor made the casual remark to the group that she suspected I might have the gift of teaching. I had never thought of this as one of my spiritual giftings, mainly because I had never actually taught. Suddenly I found in this small, probably off-hand comment a true affirmation. I did think I’d enjoy teaching the Bible… but how would I get to do it?   

The second change was brought about by our interim pastor about six months later. Somehow, he recognized a passion for Scripture study within me and asked me to facilitate his video lessons for our adult faith forum on the Sundays he was absent. Next, he let me try facilitating a session myself. Finally, I was given permission to convene a weekly zoom book study on a book that journeyed through the entire arc of the Bible narrative. I still remember feeling so profoundly energized and invigorated after leading that first night’s study! I thought, “Oh, this is what it feels like to finally do what you were made to do!”   

Since then, I’ve slowly been given more responsibility in the adult education ministry of our congregation. This fall, I was asked to plan out our adult faith forums for the quarter, recruit facilitators, and help teach some myself. I now get to help lead the adult education ministry, as a lay person: a Lay Leader.   

Frederick Buechner wisely said, “vocation is where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” I’m here to tell you that this deep gladness is not limited to our rostered leaders in professional ministry vocations. We all have vocations, areas of influence and passions, both in our congregations and our communities. Sometimes all it takes is someone noticing it in us and our own willingness to confidently live into whatever vocation God is calling us to. The result is living into our vocational engagement (LiVE)…and it’s beautiful.