Dear Class Member,
The story we are using as the basis for our next class concerns Grant Desme, a minor-league outfielder who was on the brink of moving up to the majors but who instead decided to answer a different call and enter the priesthood.
The story gives us an opportunity to consider what it means to be called by God, whether that call is to move into professional ministry or to make some other significant change in our lives. It also invites us to consider what it means to be called by God in the career or job we currently have. So those will be our topics of discussion.
If you wish to start thinking about our topic in advance, below is some introductory material.
Baseball Prospect Called Up ... to Priesthood
The Wired Word for February 7, 2010
In the News
At 23, and ranked by Baseball America as the eighth-best prospect on the Oakland A's farm team, Grant Desme was likely on a fast track to the major leagues. But last month, he informed the A's management of his intention to retire from the game and enter a Catholic seminary this August.
Desme said he has been feeling the call to the priesthood for the past year and a half but decided to play the last season as a way of testing the call. Ironically, his success on the ball field during that season convinced him that the call he needed to answer wasn't the one to the majors but the one to the church.
"I'm doing well in baseball," Desme said. "But I had to get down to the bottom of things, to what was good in my life, what I wanted to do with my life. Baseball is a good thing, but that felt selfish of me when I felt that God was calling me more. It took awhile to trust that and open up to it and aim full steam toward him. ... I love the game, but I'm going to aspire to higher things."
Of Desme's decision, Rob Fai, assistant general manager of the Oakland affiliate in Vancouver, B.C., said, "All I hope is that, at the end of the day, he never regrets [making the decision now]. So few players get to the point where he's at. In my perspective, the guy could be a priest when he's 35 or 60. … Here's a guy who's so unbelievably close to making it. The timing is the one factor I can't figure out." Fai wondered aloud if current events, such as the earthquake in Haiti, had nudged Desme to make the move to the priesthood now.
After informing the ballclub of his decision in late January, Desme said he felt at peace.
The process of becoming a priest takes about 10 years. "It's like re-entering the minor leagues" Desme said.
"I desire and hope to become a priest," he added. "But it's all up to God."
More on this story can be found at these links:
The Big Questions
Here are some of the questions we will discuss in class:
1. How can we tell the difference between a call from God and a "career opportunity"? Can they ever be one and the same? How do we know?2. How do we distinguish between a call from God and a prompting of our own for change?3. Many of the things God calls us to do involve sacrifice on our part. Does every call from God require sacrifice from us? Why or why not?4. Does God have a call for every Christian? Is ministry the only calling, or are some of us called to other kinds of service, including things such as folding worship bulletins and shoveling snow off the church sidewalks? Are all callings equal, or are some "higher" than others? Explain your answers.5. What helps you discover God's will for you?
Confronting the News with Scripture
We will look at selected verses from these Scripture texts. You may wish to read these in advance for background:
Amos 7:10-17Judges 6:11-24
Luke 5:1-11
Acts 16:6-10
Exodus 3:1-12
Jeremiah 1:4-19Jeremiah 25:1-14
In class, we will talk about these passages and look for some insight on the big questions, as well as talk about other questions you may have about this topic. Please join us.
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