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Christmas wears me out.  I’m not the type who gets excited and energized by all the shopping, decorating, office partying, white elephanting, wrapping, eating, caroling, and visiting.  I just get tired.  And maybe a little depressed.  Definitely not merry.

Over the past couple years I’ve tried to combat this crazy, over-the-top season by deliberately taking time to focus on why I’m celebrating Christmas.  If this is just a season of gifts and lights and food it will be fun, but it will also be wearying and ultimately unfulfilling.

To help me focus on the Christmas story, this year I’m following an advent reading plan that takes you through the story of Christmas.  As I read each day, I’m spending time reflecting on what this season truly means.  It’s keeping me sane and renewing my understanding and thankfulness for how radical God’s love for us is.

If you’d like to read along, you can download the plan here:

Here’s something I found written in the margins of my bible today that I thought was interesting:

Faith isn’t like a vending machine (one coin in, one treat out), but is more like farming (lots of resources committed habitually over time with a greater harvest).

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle… to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together…  by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. – 1 Corinthians 1:1-2, 9

These introductory verses to Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth got me thinking about the different ways we–and by “we” I mean Christians in America–use the word calling.  It seems to me that more often than not, calling becomes a spiritual way of saying preference.  ”I’m called to lead the ______ ministry” can easily (and in many cases correctly) be reworded as “I’d prefer to lead the ______ ministry.”

I’ve also noticed that calling is used in the negative more often than the positive.  ”Oh, I’m not called to ______” or “Sign ups for ______?  That’s not really my calling” are both pretty normal ways to say “no” in the Christian community.

Here’s the thing.  I’ve been reading my bible a bit and aside from Paul saying he’s called to be an apostle (which is a big deal) I can’t really find any examples for these type of blanket callings over people’s lives.  It seems to me that the Holy Spirit provides gifting for a specific area of ministry and He often leads people to be involved in one way or another, but  we don’t really read about people being called and dedicated to one specific ministry to the exclusion of all others.

What we do see is what’s described to the Corinthians here: they are called to be saints and called to be in fellowship with one another.  That calling carries with it a whole range of exhortations and commandments to love one another, care for the poor, pray together, worship together, teach the word, etc.

Anyway, maybe I’m off-base, maybe this is just a pet peeve or just an annoying little bit of Christianese, but I’m going to stop throwing around the word so flippantly.

Instead, I say we focus on what we are called to be: the church.

Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make your way straight before me.
Psalm 5:8

We should always have some people that call themselves enemies.

God never called us to be liked by everyone.  He called us to be righteous.  Sometimes those two don’t mix.

Unfortunately, we usually fall to one of two extremes: being liked by everyone with a weak brand of righteousness / being hated by everyone with a big dose of self-righteousness.

There are those who say, who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, oh LORD!
You have put joy in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound. 
In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
For you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:6-8

In a time where there seems to be nothing but bad news, people are desperate for someone to “show some good.” I’ve had a pretty rough week as far as news goes. There’s been a lot of disappointment and frustration coming from many different angles and–like most people–I’ve felt worn down by it all. In many ways it seems like there is no good to be found.

As a Christian, however, my outlook on life isn’t dictated by what I see on CNN.com or the pages of BusinessWeek.  Times are hard for (most) everybody.  There are struggles and worries that are legitimate.  Despite all these, I have a joy that’s stronger than the those afforded by comfort and luxury and a peace that’s deeper than financial security.  But my hope in God is greater.

I was reminded of those truths today.