Many people come to spiritual direction with questions about how they are to contribute to the world through their life’s work. How can my particular gifts and skills be used to support myself financially while also contributing to what the world most deeply needs? “Vocational discernment” used to be a term primarily used in Catholic circles to help men and women determine if they were called to religious life. These days the term is used much more broadly. We are all called by God to meaningful and sustainable work in the world. Once we realize vocational discernment is for all of us then we can move forward in discovering the adventure God has called us to. These five books are my favorites for assisting people with vocational discernment.
A Little Parker Palmer to Start With
Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocationby Parker J. Palmer is a tiny book that is big on stories that illustrate an old Quaker saying, “Let your life speak.” Allowing your experience, values and beliefs to guide you is how you allow your Inner Teacher (a Quaker synonym for Spirit) to have a voice. Palmer writes about how his understanding of “letting your life speak” changed over the years for him. In chapter four, “All the Way Down,” Palmer shares his wisdom gleaned from his experience of clinical depression. Palmer is a lifelong educator who has contributed much to a spiritually-enhanced view of teaching. His essays on vocation are beloved by many and will be helpful to people in the midst of vocational discernment.
Bringing a Social Conscience to Vocation
A Sacred Voice is Callingby John Neafsey invites us to do “socially engaged listening” as we consider our life’s work. Neafsey is a psychologist and teacher who writes about vocation being “not just about me¸ but about us and the common good.” Using liberation theology as a core teaching, Neafsey encourages people in vocational discernment to think seriously about the contribution we can make to a hurting world. How do we know when we’re called to a particular work? We look for a “felt sense of authenticity,” says Neafsey. This is a wonderful book about doing social justice as only we can.
A Theological Take on Vocation
Vocation: Discerning our Callings in Life by Douglas Schuurman. If a book on the theology of vocation written from a Protestant Christian viewpoint is your cup of tea, this is the book for you. Schuurman, a professor of religion from St. Olaf College, takes on theological ethics and discusses vocation as much more than our “paid work.” Throughout our life, we experience calls from God—some of which involve our work and some are about infusing religious significance in our daily experiences. Schuurman wrote the book primarily for college students and young adults because of their concerns about how they would find their place in the world. There is no quick 7-step plan for vocational discernment in this book, but it’s full of biblical, historical and ethical theory that can help shape a person’s discernment process.
How Others Have Understood Call
Callings edited by William Placher, Professor of Humanities at Wabash College and author of A History of Christian Theology. One way of gathering information for your own vocational discernment path is to study the paths other people have taken and reflect on how they felt called by God to their life’s work. Placher gathered excerpts on vocation from some of the greatest writers in Christian history: Gregory of Nyssa on the Life of Macrina, Augustine, Bonaventure, Luther, Calvin, Teresa of Avila, George Fox, Howard Thurman, Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton (just to name a few). This collection will delight history lovers and those who cherish the reflections of Christians from ages past. Their thoughts can help you put your vocational discernment into perspective.
The Book I Can’t Stop Recommending
Holy Play by Kirk Byron Jones. I know I already featured this in my post about books on discernment, but I want to highlight it again because it is so helpful for vocational discernment. And because it is quite different from the other books on this list. Jones is a professor at Andover-Newton and former pastor of a number of churches. His mission in life is to help us understand God as our divine partner who calls us to a number of open possibilities and desires to co-create with us. Jones is all about discovering what our dreams are and then joyfully pursuing them. I usually recommend this book along with Neafsey’s to young adults who are struggling with vocational discernment. While Neafsey will encourage them to balance their own needs with those of the world, Jones will invite them do that from a particularly light and joyful place.
If you are interested in learning more about spiritual direction or entering spiritual direction with me, please contact me at teresa@teresablythe.net or visit www.teresablythe.net. Also visit my website for the Phoenix Center for Spiritual Direction.
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