of ministry opened. Or they speak of emotional experiences—the breakup of a relationship, for example—that pushed them in a new direction. Yet when I hear effective pastors in their fifties talk of their call, there is less emphasis on the emotion and the circumstances surrounding the decision to pursue ministry, and more emphasis on their sense of oughtness and purpose. It was freeing to realize, as I reflected on my initial call, that mine was not primarily to make a living as a minister but rather