In our church days, when I sat in an interlocking chair, stared ahead at the big white screen, and sang words that flashed by, I used to wonder, vaguely, if God was calling me to do something, and I wasn’t hearing.

Sometimes, God calls us to walk alone — away from the distractions of the group. Catching the Breeze, original oil painting by Steve Henderson, sold; licensed open edition print at Great Big Canvas, iCanvasART, and Framed Canvas Art.

After all, the church had all sorts of ministry opportunities. Although many of them I was unqualified for because I hadn’t gone through the newly implemented Leadership Training Classes, there were many mundane options, like coordinating the Interlocking Chair Set Up and Take Down committee (which, for some reason, NOBODY wanted to be involved in).

But I wasn’t interested. Burnt out after years of a Wednesday night children’s program that never could figure out if it was teaching church kids or attracting unchurched ones, I continued to arrive, Sunday mornings, and sing the words in front of my face. I reminded myself that working hard, loving my family, and caring for the people strewn across my path were worthy things to do.

And then God forcefully and unmistakably called me.

I, and my family, were called out of the church. Now that’s not every Christian’s experience — although it is becoming an increasingly more frequent option — but whether you stay in or out of the church, when God calls you, you will generally find yourself out of the group.

That’s not an easy position to be in, but as far as growing as a Christian, it’s not a bad one. Please read the rest of the story at my Commonsense Christianity blog at BeliefNet, Is God Calling You?