Pr. Roger Sasse - Executive Director of Nebraska Lutheran Campus Ministry

Sometimes its "hard" to know what is "harder." Just when you think you know "hard," something even harder comes along.

And then you find out…You ain’t seen nothing yet. HARDEST! Is still to come!

This is probably never any more true than it is with the CALL of GOD! It’s HARD INITIALLY to know, if God is calling.

Samuel…Just helping Eli out, his "assistant," never expecting "a call" from God.
Peter…successful fisherman…middle-aged…family…good job…good future…called to walk away from "everything"?
Noah…crazy rumbling inside…maybe he ate something…I mean…build an ark? Not a cloud in the sky, and he’s supposed to head for the lumberyard?

How is it for you? Do you know IF God is calling YOU?

I said, "OK." (Why? To this day, I do not know…)
Two days later, I called my grandmother and told her…and then my mom and dad...and then my pastor..and then the newness waned. From that day on it was just something I was going to do. It never crossed my mind again UNTIL I was in college, sitting in the old Midland student union and the DREADED feeling struck…OH MY GOD (and this wasn’t a prayer), what in the world have I done? I wondered over the next number of years whether it really was a "CALL" from God? BUT THERE WAS NO HURRY. I didn’t need to answer right away.

NOW SOMETIMES, THE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR KNOCKS YOU RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES

Paul…on the road to Damascus
Luther…in a thunderstorm…
For some of us too…

YOU have a call! You pick up the "phone" so to speak and casually you say, as you are doing other things, "WHO IS IT?"
God!
(Oh my God!) Yes. The ONE! And ONLY!

Sometimes it’s pretty clear. God crashes in clearly and without question, but for most of us it comes in some moment after moment, more an on-going nagging tooth ache kind of experience rather than a "heart attack." It seems not to be very clear and we wonder. And wonder. And wonder.
So what do we do? Pray? Wait for an answer… Pray? Go ahead and act, and hope God will get in the way if you’re off on the wrong track?

IT'S HARD TO KNOW "IF" GOD IS CALLING, but it's even HARDER when the call seems to be persistent. IT'S "HARDER" BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT JUST CALLED TO WONDER, but you are CALLED TO ACT.

Peter, in the boat, between three and six o’clock in the morning…Jesus came to the disciples, walking on the water and Peter answered him, Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.

If it is YOU, let me know in no uncertain terms THAT THIS is what I’m supposed to do. This may be happening to you…GIVE ME A SIGN LORD! If you are calling, let me know for sure.

I went to seminary (after all, I had told my grandmother…and parents…and…). Just getting there was some kind of ROLLER COASTER especially about the middle of my senior year at Midland College…reality was setting in…next year I would be in the HOOOOOLLLLLLYYYYY PLACE. I thought about the kind of person I was and all I was not and I was just about terrified to think of the next number of years in the midst of the "holy," the "perfect" and the "godly" Me…Roger the rogue Sasse!

I was working for Fremont Office Equipment…good job, loved it…continued to work full time and go to school, but I had to intern in Sioux City. I woke up to the fact that I didn’t like what I was doing. I got sensible. I gave God six months…I need to know Lord. (Don’t have to be nasty, just some simple sign…) I need to KNOW! Hear me Lord? Roger and out!

Word of advice! Never do that…NEVER put the Lord on the spot. Six months came, went…NO WORD FROM THE LORD.
The phone rang…
My old boss at Fremont Office Equipment…
his son decided not to go into business…
would I come and run the place for him…
Yes…God’s not calling anymore. Friends and family encouraged me to at least finish seminary. "You’ll never be happy if you don’t," they said. So I did. But OK…I WAS A ROYAL PAIN. I almost got kicked out. I flunked the examinations committee and had to take the test again. But for some reason, AGAINST ALL REASON, It seemed to be the path I was called to be on.

And the Lord continues to put opportunities to serve in front of me….DAILY…and MY CALL continues also to be…DAILY. IT'S HARD To know IF God is calling. IT'S HARDER to know WHEN God’s call is persistent. But it is HARDEST of all to know WHAT God is actually calling us to do. HARDEST…TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT And WHERE to go.

God seems always to have the crazy idea that we can do what we know we cannot do.

Moses…
Called to lead the people out of Egypt.
Oh Lord, I can’t do that.
My knees hurt. I’m not a public speaker, not a charismatic leader.
God says, NOT TO WORRY.
I’ll give you Aaron, he will be your spokesman.
My little brother? You’re gonna let my brother speak for me…
You got to be kidding.
But God wasn’t.

I have experienced this frustration with where God calls me. My senior year in seminary, I was looking for a place of ministry. Then I was visited…INVITED to come to Kearney as campus pastor. I was scared to death. I can’t do that. But I went anyway, and it began a whole new life for me. Campus Ministry was a blessing. Kearney—six great years. Then…Indiana University—nine great years. And Then…my dream "job"…Campus Pastor at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (God wants me to have football tickets). Then, in my sixth great year I'm having a wonderful time and the phone rang. Who is bothering me in this perfect campus ministry world???

THE VOICE!
"Do you want to consider coming to camp?"
NO. Leave me alone. I love this here.
"Why don’t you pray about it." (Sounds so manipulative, doesn’t it?)
NO!!! I DON’T WANT TO PRAY ABOUT IT.
But I came to interview. There were questions about my theology of camping, philosophy of camping, What I would do if and more. How should I know? I had never been to camp, or even ever been connected with camp!

But when I came to this place (Carol Joy Holling Camp) physically, it felt like a holy place. Something living within me said yes. AND WHAT A MARVELOUS "TRIP" THIS HAS BEEN. My life…always one of wondering IF God is calling, let alone exactly WHEN or to WHAT. My guess is that when God calls me to leave this place I will resist mightily. It probably won’t make any sense (to me). But, I will remember "understanding" has been in retrospect, and I hope I will go where I am called because God knows better than I.

Will you?
... LET GOD SPEAK TO BOTH YOUR HEAD AND YOUR HEART right now in your life.
...LET GOD COME CRASHING IN…And help you ask: What will be meaningful to you?
And between YOU and GOD…Answers, clear answers, will come.

If Operation IDEA can be of any help, please "give us a call about YOUR CALL!"
Roger L. Sasse/Executive Director
Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries