Roger's Call

Rogers Call Elder Roger Shoemaker's Statement of Call

Sharing the Love:

I am called to be in dialogue with our congregations; to hear of their concerns and hopes so that together we may together find new paths to rediscover the foundations that give us hope and strength and hold us together as a denomination.

We are called as children of God, through our baptism, to work as a whole family with one vision rather than one splintered by words. Our call, as was Abraham's, is to live into the discomfort of our faith, to be a people willing to love one another warts and all even though it may be uncomfortable to the point of being risky.

In John 10, Jesus talks about his sheep knowing his voice. Yet we seem to be unwilling to listen to one another and to debate as necessary in order to find the love into which we are called: to hear the voice of Jesus amidst the din and roar of each other's rhetoric.

Following the Call: Spiritual and Foundational Growth:

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus' parable tells us about a man who built his house on a foundation of sand. I believe we have done just that without recognizing it as such.

As our membership ebbs and flows through our churches, we focus on bringing in new members, new sand to build up the membership base of our congregations, rather than building foundations of spirituality that strengthens the church. We need to strengthen our understanding of the Biblical, confessional and polity components that define us as Presbyterians.

Body of Christ: "Looking For the Lost Sheep"

People come to our churches because we are friendly, or the pastor is wonderful. Or, they think the music program is extraordinary, or the church school is just right for their children. Sometimes they just want to be married or buried.

Without a spiritual foundation, these people are swept away like the sand in Jesus parable, by the same winds that brought them to a particular church. Are we secure enough, in our own faith, to go out in search of those who have strayed away? We have failed these brothers and sisters and their children by not being good shepherds.

According to the statistics for 2006 there were 2,267,118 members in the denomination and 65% go to church every week. This equals 1,473,667 attending members. Which begs the question... where are the other 793,451 members on Sunday?

Mission:

Our Call to love one another is a call to us as individuals and as a Christian community to be in mission. Feeding those who lack food for both body and spirit, clothing those in need with cloth and respect, healing those who are sick, and seeking justice for those who are denied justice. It makes no difference whether or not it is local, national or international, for all are our neighbors.

"We are called to feed those who are hungry in body and in spirit; clothe the needy not only in garments but respect; heal those sick in spirit as well as body; and seek justice for those who are denied justice whether in our community, our country, or the world."

In the past, Mission Society's were the front-runners in mission work. They raised funds and supported various missionaries directly in relationship with the denomination offices. The new paradigm is for churches and Presbyteries to be the front-runners in missionary funding and partnership support working side by side with the denomination's mission personnel. Networks, partnerships and shared resources are the emerging programs for the churches mission.

Finally:

I have no magic words that will bridge the gaps but if we will be open to listening to one another and truly believe in God's call and His claim on our lives, answers will come. God's peace will reign for those whose hearts are for listening and whose eyes are open to see the wonders that prevail.

I believe I am called, as a servant leader, to listen in the hope that together we will find ways to be faithful to our denomination and God's call for our lives as the body of Christ.

Click Here to Learn Even More About Me...