George Herbert’s struggles with his vocation

Last updated on: April 8, 2014 at 9:05 pm By Gene Veith

We’ve blogged about Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, who wrote in the London Guardian that the poetry of George Herbert helped to convert her to Christianity from atheism. She is following up that essay with a series of articles on particular poems from George Herbert, exploring them and showing how they are relevant to people’s spiritual conditions today. We blogged about what she said about Herbert’s treatment of Prayer.

After the jump, an excerpt and link to her discussion of Herbert’s poems on his spiritual struggles, particularly with his vocation as a pastor. (more…)

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Lutheranism is not boring–vocation is

Last updated on: February 2, 2014 at 8:09 pm By Gene Veith

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For me, growing up in perhaps the blandest version of mainline liberal Protestantism, Lutheranism, far from being boring, seemed wonderfully exotic. All of that medieval-style chanting; people thinking they were eating Jesus’ body and drinking His blood; having beer at church dinners. On that last point, both the liberal Christianity I grew up with and the conservative Christianity of some of my friends tended to see smokin’ and drinkin’ as the prime example of sins. But Lutheranism cared little for these little life-style issues (indeed, seeming actually pro-alcohol). That blew my mind, as we said back then.

But I think I know why people might think Lutheranism is boring. It’s the Lutheran doctrine of vocation.

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Armwrestling and vocation

Last updated on: December 16, 2013 at 7:09 pm By Gene Veith

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A Lutheran pastor, Guntars Baikovs, originally from Latvia but a St. Louis seminary Ph.D., has become the Super Heavyweight champion armwrestler–in both arms–in Australia. After the jump, read a news story about him. Notice how he works in a plug for vocation:

“In our society we celebrate achievements. That’s good, we need to nourish our gift and be proud of them. But for so many of us, it makes our lives difficult. Our value and dignity doesn’t depend on our achievements,” he said.

“In reality, what is much more important than our extraordinary achievements in our hobbies, are the ordinary things we all do on a daily basis – how we serve people around us.”

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A children’s book on vocation

Last updated on: November 6, 2013 at 3:20 pm By Gene Veith

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My daughter, Deaconness Mary Moerbe, has just published a children’s book on vocation! Luther was insistent that being a child is a vocation, that even very young children have callings from God. This book shows kids how God serves them through other people (especially their parents) and how God also serves other people through them. What an important and yet strangely neglected topic!

Mary’s book is entitled How Can I Help? God’s Calling For Kids. It is written beautifully, has wonderful illustrations, and is published by Concordia Publishing House. I wrote an introduction. At the Amazon site, linked above, you can sample it with the “look inside” feature. After the jump, an overview and ordering links. (more…)

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Holy Communion, Culture, & Vocation

Last updated on: October 27, 2013 at 9:28 pm By Gene Veith

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We often talk about how God works through material elements in the sacraments to convey His grace in Christ. But I came across a quotation that adds a dimension I never thought of before. The water of Baptism is certainly a natural substance, but the bread and wine of Holy Communion do not occur from nature alone. As James K. A. Smith points out, they require culture. And I would add, they require vocation. (more…)

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Duty and Vocation

Last updated on: October 14, 2013 at 5:20 pm By Gene Veith

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Reflecting on the beards of the Red Sox made me think about the Victorians and a concept that was a major preoccupation of that era but that is hardly talked about anymore today: Duty. This is not the same as virtue or morality. Rather, it is the obligation associated with a particular vocation.

The duty of a husband is to be faithful to his wife, support her, and protect her. The duty of a soldier is to obey orders, remain at his post, and hazard his life for his country. The duty of a worker is to do a good job, etc., etc.

Significantly, the place in Luther’s Small Catechism that teaches about vocation, giving the Biblical teachings about “the various holy orders”–such as pastors and laity, rulers and citizens, husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and workers–is called the Table of Duties.

After the jump is William Wordsworth’s “Ode to Duty,” in which the pioneering Romantic poet writes about how he is sick of living just for himself and how he craves “the spirit of self sacrifice.” Maybe our culture will get to that point. (more…)

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