Calling

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term somyeong combines the characters for "to summon" (召) and "to command" (命) and denotes God's calling of a person. In theology the term is generally used in three senses.

• The call to salvation: God's invitation to faith, extended to people through the gospel.
• The call to office: God's entrusting of a specific ministry, such as that of a pastor or missionary.
• The call to life and vocation: God's calling of each person to serve Him in his or her own work and station.

Biblical and Historical Background

The Old Testament records the callings of Abraham (Genesis 12:1), Moses (Exodus 3), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5). In the New Testament, Paul testifies to his own calling (Galatians 1:15) and exhorts, "Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called" (1 Corinthians 7:20).

During the Reformation, Martin Luther taught that monks and clergy were not the only ones who received a calling and that the everyday labor of farmers and craftsmen was also a calling from God. Together with the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, this idea became the foundation of the Protestant understanding of vocation.

Christian traditions differ in how they understand the call to salvation. The Reformed tradition, as reflected in the Westminster Confession of Faith, distinguishes between the "external call," which is extended to all who hear the gospel, and the "effectual call," by which the elect are actually brought to faith. This distinction is closely connected to the doctrine of predestination. By contrast, Arminianism and Wesleyan theology hold that God graciously extends His call to all people but that individuals may reject it.

Practice in the Korean Church

In the Korean church, the words somyeong (calling) and bureusim (the call) commonly bring to mind being called to serve as a pastor or missionary. In many denominations, applicants are frequently asked about their sense of calling during the admissions process for graduate schools of theology and during examinations for ordination. Retreats and revival meetings sometimes include a time for participants to resolve to dedicate themselves as "servants of the Lord," and some people point to a vow by their parents to give them to God as what prompted their calling.

Traditions also differ in how a calling is confirmed. Presbyterian and Methodist churches, among others, emphasize not only inner conviction but also procedures by which the church community and its governing bodies confirm the calling. In churches of the Pentecostal tradition, it is reportedly relatively common to cite experiences during prayer or the leading of the Holy Spirit as the basis of a calling.

Since the 1990s, discussion of so-called "workplace faith" has gained momentum, led by various churches and organizations. This movement seeks to move beyond a narrow understanding of calling as belonging only to clergy and to regard the workplaces and daily lives of the laity as places of calling as well.