| A Sense of Being Called |
| Written by MELANIE HAMMOND CLARK |
| Tuesday, 15 November 2011 19:44 |
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A Sense of Being Called energy, and with great eagerness and respect. When he told of how he was surprisingly called from his work in Major League Baseball to a life of professional ministry, his experience of God rang so true that it came to me like an invitation to share in something wonderful and real. His story became a window into how to be the person God wanted me to be. That pastor, the Rev. Dr. Richard S. Armstrong, Ashenfelter Professor Emeritus of Ministry and Evangelism at Princeton Seminary, has finally put his story to paper in his recent book A Sense of Being Called. Chronicling his unexpected move from having been the public relations director first of the Philadelphia Athletics and then the Baltimore Orioles to becoming an ordained Presbyterian minister, Armstrong writes in great detail about both the sweeping movements of God in his life and the gentle nudges and urgings of the Spirit that might easily go unnoticed. Including the devastating death from leukemia of his 5-year-old son, Ricky, Armstrong’s is an awe-filled journey that shares the gift of discerning God’s presence and action in all things – the thoughtful conversations, the quirky turns of events, the awakened intuitions, the encouragements and discouragements of daily encounters. In all of Armstrong’s books, and no less this one, he is a mentor in seeing God at work and becoming God’s partner in the everyday wonders of that work. At a time when there is renewed interest in the reality and theology of the call of God, this book provides many timely and helpful insights into discerning and pursuing one’s own sense of call. For that reason it is beneficial reading for those who are sincere about seeking God’s will for their lives, as well as for those who call themselves agnostics but are open to exploring the possibility that their lives are not governed by mere chance. In addition to the good practical theology of this book, if you are a baseball fan there is certainly much to be enjoyed. The author regales his readers with baseball lore of which he was a part, including creating the first major league costumed mascot (Mr. Oriole) and what it was like to work for the legendary Connie Mack. Baseball clearly remains an enthusiasm of Dick Armstrong’s, and you will experience his delight in his former profession. There are more than 100 captioned photographs, which tell a fascinating parallel story of their own. Originally written for and at the urging of his family and friends, this memoir contains many minutely detailed recollections that one would expect from one’s personal journaling. But often, as they say, God is in the details, and those who know Armstrong know that he takes nothing for granted when it comes to the possible movement of God’s Spirit. In his writing, and in his life, he watches, he listens, he acts, and he shares his story, not because yours or mine will be anything like his, but because he recognizes God at work in you and me and hopes we will, too.
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