Lord God,
Help us to discern our vocation, our calling,
Whether they are the same,
and where we go from here.
Amen.
In Valunteering: When Vocation and Calling Collide (pt 1), I mentioned how I had found elements of my faith reflected in my work. Even as the specifics of my work and studies change over time, I am always able to see a direct comparison between my faith and my work. Whether it is perception which causes my eagerness to see the relation is yet to be determined.
As I grow older I have come to appreciate less and less this idea of a sacred/secular divide. Don't get me wrong, there are ways in which Christians (or any person of faith) is set apart from those who aren't like them, yet at the same time we as believers or people of faith can be overly focused on the separation to a degree which causes us to not be welcoming, loving, or non-judgmental. I believe that everything belongs to God and inasmuch all things start out as holy/sacred. We're not going to get into what it means for something to be holy or sacred; plenty of times prior there have been mentionings of finding God in places which may not usually be deemed "sacred" such as anywhere outside the church. We're called to be united in love while maintaining a certain standard (or set of standards).
Types of Vocation
There was at some point this idea that sacred or occupations in the church were what everyone who is a Christian should strive for. There is obvious lunacy in this line of thinking; goes along with saying, "if the body was an eye where would the hearing be?" Let me not jump ahead.
Before moving on I want to point out that there are 2 leadership paths which can be taken in the church as far as work or vocation goes. First up is the laity, which concerns dealing with the laymen (or congregants/people). Second, is the clergy, with which most people are familiar (e.g. Pastors, Ministers, etc.) In some cases people may perform a mix of both roles, but that depends on certain rules, doctrines, and such. Basically, for all intents and purposes here, the laity are people who do God's work in the church (and sometimes outside of it) without being in an official/ordained role, whereas the clergy are in "deeper" with their commitment, which includes "higher" level of responsibilities among other things. Technically the laity can include all of the people who aren't clergy; here we're focusing on leadership paths.
In knowing the difference between laity and clergy you may have figured out that not all people will become clergy, nor will all of the laity step up to leadership. Even if a good portion of believers perform "secular" work, their vocations are not necessarily evil (i.e. Simply because it isn't in the church). For some this may seem simple or easily understood, but you have to understand that this is how some people think (even to this day).
The Call
A lot of times in religious circles, especially with Christianity, you'll often hear of someone "answering a call". Vocation comes from a...well, if you saw the video you already know :-p... More specifically, when I speak with Pastors or people in the Christian community I get the sense that when they say "call" they specifically mean a "call to ministry", a "call to pastor", or a call to do something that is distinctly within the church. For example, when Jesus would tell people to "follow me", he was issuing them a call (essentially). It's important to remember here that ministry can be done anywhere, it's not limited to the church and we'd be in some serious trouble if it was. Just think, if everyone had to come to church (first) to meet God, I'd put my next paycheck on it that a lot of folk wouldn't meet God.
For me church/ministry/vocation is about how you live your life. Much of this was alluded to in the video. Over 90% of what Jesus did was outside the synagogue. This doesn't diminish what was done inside and back then generally the Jews stuck together, so there were communities even outside of the meeting times in the building, which means you were always practicing your faith or doing ministry.
The key here is no matter what you do or where you do it, be sure you give your all and are growing in it (or through it). Could you imagine doctors who had no sense of faith, hope, or love? If they only went based on the diagnosis and their studies alone...
Picture Framed
So, about that picture I drew...call it #suitNtTie
For a better understanding of the context, my grandfather was a pastor. None of his immediate (biological) children (at the time) went into ministry, so who better to take up the mantle? This is just another example of how we can set people up for failure with this type of affirmation. Gordon T. Smith mentions in his book Courage and Calling, an instance where a 13 year old was brought up to the front of the church to be "prayed for" because he was willing to be a missionary. What greater call to be answered than being a missionary?! Exactly...kind of like you need to learn to say "No", because if not you'll get volunteered for everything. So it is in the church. The problem as the young lad stated in recalling this event was that there was too much praise and affirmation for a 13 year old. Chances of him going on to think critically in discerning his call were probably slim. It's the equivalent (or maybe a little less so) of someone believing they should be a lawyer because they give a good argument.
While in Pittsburgh one of the co-leaders of the congregation and I got to talking and she understood that I was interested in getting into ministry (most likely the laity side of the house). At first her response was, "So you're gonna be a pastor?!" Amazement and excitement included. Eventually she came down a few notches after I explained the whole public service ordeal, "...we need those too." Although, she'd rather me be in the church in some official capacity, she recognized the need for people who are created by God to be everywhere no matter the vocation (or calling).
As I grow older I have come to appreciate less and less this idea of a sacred/secular divide. Don't get me wrong, there are ways in which Christians (or any person of faith) is set apart from those who aren't like them, yet at the same time we as believers or people of faith can be overly focused on the separation to a degree which causes us to not be welcoming, loving, or non-judgmental. I believe that everything belongs to God and inasmuch all things start out as holy/sacred. We're not going to get into what it means for something to be holy or sacred; plenty of times prior there have been mentionings of finding God in places which may not usually be deemed "sacred" such as anywhere outside the church. We're called to be united in love while maintaining a certain standard (or set of standards).
Types of Vocation
There was at some point this idea that sacred or occupations in the church were what everyone who is a Christian should strive for. There is obvious lunacy in this line of thinking; goes along with saying, "if the body was an eye where would the hearing be?" Let me not jump ahead.
"Deep within the religious psyche of most Christians is the assumption that religious work is inherently more sacred than all other activities...assuming a pastoral appointment...more kingdom value and therefore merits higher affirmation." -Courage and Calling (pg 35)Can't tell you how many times as a youngster with all my talents, abilities, and gifts, folks would see my potential (and my shining glow) only to let me down in conversation by asking some variation of the following, "...ministry...pastor...church...?" Never mind me taking time to explore and find God as I might, your major concern is whether or not I'll be "in the church", because obviously, if you're not working "for God" you aren't doing it right!
Before moving on I want to point out that there are 2 leadership paths which can be taken in the church as far as work or vocation goes. First up is the laity, which concerns dealing with the laymen (or congregants/people). Second, is the clergy, with which most people are familiar (e.g. Pastors, Ministers, etc.) In some cases people may perform a mix of both roles, but that depends on certain rules, doctrines, and such. Basically, for all intents and purposes here, the laity are people who do God's work in the church (and sometimes outside of it) without being in an official/ordained role, whereas the clergy are in "deeper" with their commitment, which includes "higher" level of responsibilities among other things. Technically the laity can include all of the people who aren't clergy; here we're focusing on leadership paths.
In knowing the difference between laity and clergy you may have figured out that not all people will become clergy, nor will all of the laity step up to leadership. Even if a good portion of believers perform "secular" work, their vocations are not necessarily evil (i.e. Simply because it isn't in the church). For some this may seem simple or easily understood, but you have to understand that this is how some people think (even to this day).
The Call
A lot of times in religious circles, especially with Christianity, you'll often hear of someone "answering a call". Vocation comes from a...well, if you saw the video you already know :-p... More specifically, when I speak with Pastors or people in the Christian community I get the sense that when they say "call" they specifically mean a "call to ministry", a "call to pastor", or a call to do something that is distinctly within the church. For example, when Jesus would tell people to "follow me", he was issuing them a call (essentially). It's important to remember here that ministry can be done anywhere, it's not limited to the church and we'd be in some serious trouble if it was. Just think, if everyone had to come to church (first) to meet God, I'd put my next paycheck on it that a lot of folk wouldn't meet God.
For me church/ministry/vocation is about how you live your life. Much of this was alluded to in the video. Over 90% of what Jesus did was outside the synagogue. This doesn't diminish what was done inside and back then generally the Jews stuck together, so there were communities even outside of the meeting times in the building, which means you were always practicing your faith or doing ministry.
The key here is no matter what you do or where you do it, be sure you give your all and are growing in it (or through it). Could you imagine doctors who had no sense of faith, hope, or love? If they only went based on the diagnosis and their studies alone...
Picture Framed
So, about that picture I drew...call it #suitNtTie
[excerpt from July 13, 2011]
One night I took out a poster board and some markers and started to draw what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’m a black male and in the drawing I had on a black suit and a tie (didn’t need too many colors). In my mind when I was younger...I had always in my heart (somehow) wanted to work in a form of public service but didn’t know it at the time...“Being a warfighter isn’t for me”. As I sat there that night and looked at what I had drawn I saw a man in a suit. I didn’t see a Pastor; let my family find out what I did...
Now you see why…I’m not going to take a path for the sake of doing it
For a better understanding of the context, my grandfather was a pastor. None of his immediate (biological) children (at the time) went into ministry, so who better to take up the mantle? This is just another example of how we can set people up for failure with this type of affirmation. Gordon T. Smith mentions in his book Courage and Calling, an instance where a 13 year old was brought up to the front of the church to be "prayed for" because he was willing to be a missionary. What greater call to be answered than being a missionary?! Exactly...kind of like you need to learn to say "No", because if not you'll get volunteered for everything. So it is in the church. The problem as the young lad stated in recalling this event was that there was too much praise and affirmation for a 13 year old. Chances of him going on to think critically in discerning his call were probably slim. It's the equivalent (or maybe a little less so) of someone believing they should be a lawyer because they give a good argument.
While in Pittsburgh one of the co-leaders of the congregation and I got to talking and she understood that I was interested in getting into ministry (most likely the laity side of the house). At first her response was, "So you're gonna be a pastor?!" Amazement and excitement included. Eventually she came down a few notches after I explained the whole public service ordeal, "...we need those too." Although, she'd rather me be in the church in some official capacity, she recognized the need for people who are created by God to be everywhere no matter the vocation (or calling).
Don't ever do something, become somebody, or go somewhere solely based on the fact that you were told to unless: 1) You've thought about it and there's good reasoning, 2) God told you to (or there's some positive spiritual component tied to it). Really think about it!
The religious or secular nature of our cultural creativity is simply the wrong question....undertake the work we believe to be our vocation, we experience the joy and humility that come only when God multiplies our work...Vocation -calling- becomes another word for a continual process of discernment...all we can to scatter the next round of seed in the most fruitful places. -Culture Making (pg 256)
Grandma's Prayers
We all have (I'm hoping you've experienced this) that grandparent or person in our life who provides wise counsel, support, and sometimes just a good ole buffer to remind you that your parents sometimes get it right and sometimes they try too hard (remember no one came with instructions!). In particular, I have a grandmother (both of them are awesome, all three dear to my heart) who usually says, "I know you'll be preaching the gospel". In the back of my mind I think, "I wonder if she knows what I'm called to do...should I tell her?" But then I realize that this is a far cry from "I know you'll be a pastor." Understanding that preaching the gospel (i.e. Good news), being our best selves, helping our neighbors, loving unconditionally, these are things we all can do. Some people are called to preach the Gospel (of Jesus Christ) in very specific ways.
To sum it all up: It's (life, vocation, calling) about exploration. Especially if you're in your teens, 20s, (potentially) 30s or later, this thing is about learning and self-discovery. If you're able to, keep your options open. Don't settle on what you know (you'll be doing) for sure too soon.
Have you ever had a calling? What do you think about vocation, occupations, and careers? Does any of this make sense to you? Comments, questions, and suggestions, feel free to leave them below.
Up next: Dreams and Valunteering pt 3
Why?
The quick skinny:
- I don't want to be a Pastor (unless I have to)
- Why should I just for the sake of it?
What does this mean for me? #theReader
You have a calling on your life...
Frederick Buechner writes that Your calling is found "where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." -Culture Making (pg 263)
For further insight: Read-Courage and Calling, Culture Making, The Holy Bible, Stories of the lives of those who came before you (or you can take a trip to a retirement home, talk to your grands, etc.)
This is F.U.N. (For Ur Needs) Use your KEYS
- Know that understanding a call isn't easy
- Expect to be frustrated (many times)
- Your determination and flexibility are key
- Stay dedicated
Challenge
- Discern your calling.
- Understand how your current vocation fits into the big[ger] picture.
Bob Ya’ Head
Lifesong (Casting Crowns)
