One of my least-favourite childhood memories is of playground games which involved picking teams.

The team captains would call name after name, and the chosen child would skip off happily to join their team, while a dwindling group would wonder whether their turn would ever come.

I was a thin and weedy child, and always seemed to be near the end.

I think of that nowadays when I find myself teaching about vocation (a key part of my job). Vocation is a word that’s popularly used of careers that have an element of self-sacrifice, including being ordained in the church, as well as things like nursing or teaching.

The word ‘vocation’ means ‘calling’ with the idea that some special people are chosen for these roles.

If that is really the case, where does it leave the rest of us?

Are we just ordinary, with nothing to offer?

Are we left in that group of children that no-one wants to have on their team?

Christians don’t see it like that – we believe that everyone is uniquely valuable, all made by God and precious to him. And if he made us, there isn’t anyone he doesn’t want on his team. That includes me and you - no matter who we are we have something valuable to offer.

Some people think that isn’t true because they know they’ve messed up their lives – they’re no longer the person God made them to be. Not true: there is always a way back – no matter what messes we’ve got ourselves into, God can sort things.

Of course that can be a slow process – things that are so important take time to put right.

But even while that’s going on, God still wants us on his team, still trusts us with some of his work in the world.

Want to know more? Any church should be able to help. And if you’re wondering what your particular call from God might be, we have various ways to help you think things through (try our website at www.blackburn.anglican.org for some ideas).

But the most important thing is to ask God – He’s calling your name for His team, and He knows what part He wants you to play. Of course He’d be delighted to tell you.

Canon Sue Penfold Director of Ministry, Diocese of Blackburn