For all of you who aren't Methodist DCOM stands for District Committee of (on?) Ordained Ministry. They are the first group of people who will decided rather or not I can be ordained. So I met with them for the first time yesterday. It was just a getting to know you meeting, so I wasn't to nervous. They asked me my call story, which I managed to leave out a chunk of ( so I guess i was a little more nervous then I thought). Then they asked the typical where did you go to undergrad?, what did you major in?, etc. The last question was what do you want us to know about you? this stumped me a little and then I came up with this: That my calling really is figure out some way to help my generation create a relationship with God then hopefully with the church. I talked about loss of the feeling of community etc.
I was feeling OK about how it went. I didn't think it was spectacular or anything. Then the chair of the committee came into to my pastor's office (the meeting was held at the church I attend) to fill out some paper work and I was sitting there and she paid me a really nice complement which totally caught me off guard. However, it made me realize that I really can do this. I have been feeling pretty good lately about the whole going into ministry thing anyway, but for the first time I really understood that this really is in me. I had a conversation with one of my friends about it and I related it this way. It's like at a job interview you go out of your way to impressive to the point were you almost try so hard to be yourself that you aren't. I didn't feel that way. I really felt like just being me was enough. Gosh, I really hope that I am not sounding cocky here. The reason why I am sharing is because I have never really had this feeling before. I've always felt like my successes were someone else's. While now I have this understanding of being fully capable of fulfilling my call I know that I will always always always be indebted to and in of the people in my support system [especially my mentor cause she rocks! ;-) ] and that they are part of the reason that I am capable. Thanks y'all
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3 comments:
Glad to hear that your meeting went well!!! It's an awesome feeling when you can be yourself in front of a committee like DCOM and have it be an affirming experience.
sounds like a great interview and a wonderful affirmation for you. hold on to that feeling for the times when you doubt why the heck you signed up for this in the first place, and remember that you *are* called and so you *are* equipped and empowered and blessed and sent. You are really doing this, and some days you may hate it but I bet most days you'll love it and know that you'd never be half as fulfilled, half as able to be yourself if you didn't walk this path. Blessings!
One thing I learned about the meetings with such committees is that if God has called you to this ministry, God will equip you for it and will pave and prepare your way into it.
Furthermore, think of the committees as your future colleagues who mostly want to help you define and refine your Call - often candidates think of their committees as antagonistic (and sometimes they are), but when you think of them as colleagues who really love the Church and want to help you in it...
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