The discernment of vocation to offices in the church is far more problematic than we generally assume, for there's some uncertainty in our part of Christ's body over who takes the initiative in "calling." And that results from an even greater lack of clarity among us about the nature of Christian authority.

Those skilled in management have periodically suggested that we in the church should actively recruit those who lead us. And more than occasionally self-promotion is a factor in securing elective church positions on both parish and diocesan levels. Such recruitment and campaigning should serve us well, and they probably would - if what we were about was raising up leaders and if we ourselves did the choosing. Today's readings, however, remind us that neither in fact is the case.

As the story of Samuel makes clear, it is God, and not us, who chooses agents to carry out the divine will. Those agents, moreover, are sometimes unlikely even to be noticed by nominating committees, let alone by corporate headhunters. And the gospel plainly illustrates that God doesn't so much raise up leaders for his people as he calls forth followers - faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ. The likes of Andrew and Philip and Peter, after all, are hardly the stuff of which successful campaigns are made. Their qualification is an affirmative answer to the Lord's command, "Follow me."

It is God who calls forth faithful followers of his Son to become the servants of all. The church, through the guidance of the Spirit, is charged with recognizing and affirming the Lord's choices.