When I was little – maybe 3 or 4 years old – I learned how to tell secrets and I went through a phase where I would tap my family members on the shoulder and ask, “Wanna know a secret?” When they said, “yes,” I would clumsily get up closer, cup my hands around their ear, and ‘whisper’ as best a four-year-old can, “Baby Jesus loves you.”
As far as I know, this was the only message that I told in this secret-telling routine of mine. I don’t know if someone told me the phrase word for word, or if I was declaring my own theological truth. What I do know is – whether it’s my family, my home congregation in Durham, my campus ministry at Appalachian State, or a number of other groups – I’ve been constantly surrounded by communities who have repeated this truth to me on a regular basis. My knowledge of the Triune God’s love for everyone, myself included, is what compels me to discover and use my gifts; what encourages me to love my neighbor; and what moves me to work alongside God in the world.
I believe that I am called to the lifelong ministry of teaching and reminding God’s children that Jesus loves them and I’m continuing to discern what that can look like for me. My internships throughout seminary helped me explore a broad range of ministry contexts. During my summer at The Center, a mission agency of the Presbytery of Baltimore, we pointed to the love that God has for not just the visiting youth groups, but also for their neighbors. In my Clinical Pastoral Education internship at UNC Hospital, I tried to enter every room with the goal of the patient knowing and believing that they were wrapped in love. Through my internship with First Presbyterian in Durham, NC, I found ways to have these conversations about God’s love through my liturgy, preaching, curriculum-writing, and Zoom calls with congregants.
At the moment, I feel most called toward ministry settings that involve educational ministry. I’m interested in working with all ages and stages. I think that God is calling me toward a community that views learning as a life-long practice. We tend to invest good time in our churches teaching children and youth of God’s love and we assume the adults don’t need this reminder.
In addition to (or complementary to) educational ministry, I enjoy thinking about God’s mission and how God might be asking us to join. This mission focus is important for me as many of us are finally acknowledging the harm we have caused in past mission engagements. I would love to walk alongside a congregation as they assess what outreach will look like in their own community.
Today, I no longer place Jesus’ love in the ‘secret’ category. Jesus’ love is good news for all to hear. It is good news that can push us toward lives of deeper love and care for all of God’s creation, engaging in the work of God’s kindom come. Above all, my vocational call is to spread the news of God’s love far and wide.
Rev. Natalie Wolf 