New Resource on Vocation

Last updated on: September 24, 2019 at 6:06 pm By Gene Veith

Concordia Publishing House has launched a free new digital magazine, as of this time last year, entitled Lutheran Life. Previous issues, available at the archive, were on living the Christian life, reading the Bible, building one’s faith, and Christian community. The latest issue is all about vocation, and it’s an excellent resource for individuals wanting to understand their callings and for pastors wanting to teach this transformative doctrine to their congregation.

So many treatments reduce “vocation” to the secular definition of that word, namely, how we make a living. In doing so, they generate principles about how to serve God in the workplace, but they neglect our vocations in the family, the church, and the state. They also tend to distort the purpose of all vocations, often suggesting that our callings are all about our self-fulfillment rather than loving and serving our neighbors.

This Lutheran Life issue–with the description “how you are called by God in all aspects of your life”–does not make those mistakes. Rather, in a mere 15 pages, we have a rich, comprehensive treatment of the topic.

I love this brief explanation of what vocation is in the introductory article:

Considering how we can love our neighbor is the basis for the term vocation. Vocation, or calling, is doing the work God has put in front of us to do for the benefit of our neighbor in every station and place we find ourselves throughout our lives.

The article on “How Do I Find My Vocations?” answers that question not with a self-assessment inventory but by inviting readers to consider who their neighbors are. It even has a fill-in chart, in which readers think about the four categories of vocation–I like the succinct titles of “home,” “church,” “work,” and “world.” Readers then are asked to write down the actual names of the neighbors they have in each category. Readers are then asked to fill in answers to the question “how can I serve him or her?” That is how you can find your vocations, or, what amounts to the same thing, become aware of the vocations you already have and your duties to the neighbors your callings have brought into your life (your spouse, your children, your customers, your fellow church members, your fellow citizens, etc.).

Then follow articles on the family vocation (“It Starts at Home”), church vocation (“Many parts, One Body”), work vocation (“Caring for Co-Workers”), and citizenship vocation (“Citizen & Saint”).

And lest we make that other misconception about vocation that reduces the teaching to a work ethic and that has produced Christian workaholics, the issue ends with an article on not working (“Rest, Reset, Connect”). This applies the principle behind the Bible’s teachings about the Sabbath, that we need rest and leisure, which are also part of our various callings.

Lutheran Life has an attractive design with lots of graphics and is suitable for downloading and printing. (You can sign up for a notification when a new quarterly issue comes out by going here.)

This would make for a good Bible study, Christian education class, and confirmation curriculum, as would the other issues of Lutheran Life that treat other topics.

Lutheran Life cover, Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission.

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The Sermon on the Mount, Vocation, & Labor Day

Last updated on: August 28, 2019 at 8:25 pm By Gene Veith

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Happy Labor Day, a holiday in which we should celebrate and reflect on our vocations. Remember that the theology of vocation has to do with all of the tasks, relationships, and offices that God calls us to. Not just our “work,” but also our families (our marriages, being a parent, being a child to our parents, being part of our extended family), our citizenship (in our communities, country, and culture), and our churches (being a member of our congregation, being a part of the Body of Christ throughout the world and throughout time, being a baptized child of God).

I commend to you for your Labor Day meditation a sermon preached by that great theologian of vocation, Martin Luther. It’s about the Sermon on the Mount, with a wonderful reflection on the birds of the air and the flowers of the field and how they too serve God. God takes care of them, and He takes care of us, including by means of the vocations that He calls us to.

The birds do have their labors, but what they do not have is anxiety. Nor should we be anxious, as if God will not take care of us. And yet, as Luther shows, there is also an anxiety that is good: “the anxious care of love.”

From Martin Luther, Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, text: Matthew 6:24-34. Church Postils [The Sermons of Martin Luther, trans. John Nicholas Lenker, Vol. 5]:

God gives us the wool, that he grows on the sheep; but it is not at once cloth, we must labor and make it into cloth; when it is cloth, it does not at once become a coat, the tailor must first work with the cloth before it is a coat; and so God does with all things, he cares for us, but we must toil and work. We have plenty examples of this before our eyes, and God relates especially two here that should really make us blush with shame, namely, those of the birds and the lilies in the field. Pointing to the birds he says: “Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them.”

As if the Lord would say: You have never yet seen a bird with a sickle, with which it harvested and gathered into barns; yea, the birds do not labor like we; and still they are nourished. By this the Lord does not however teach that we are to be idle; but he tries by this example to take all anxiety from us. For a bird cannot do the work of a farmer as we do; yet, it is not free from labor, but it does the work for which it was created, namely, it bears its young, feeds them and sings to our Lord God a little song for the privilege of doing this. Had God imposed more labor upon it, then it would have done more. Early in the morning it rises, sits upon a twig and sings a song it has learned, while it knows not where to obtain its food, and yet it is not worried as to where to get its breakfast. Later, when it is hungry, it flies away and seeks a grain of corn, where God stored one away for it, of which it never thought while singing, when it had cause enough to be anxious about its food. Ay, shame on you now, that the little birds are more pious and believing than you; they are happy and sing with joy and know not whether they have anything to eat. . . .

Behold the flowers of the field how they are adorned and clothed, neither do they anything to that end; they neither spin nor work, yet they are beautifully clothed.

By this illustration the Lord again does not wish to have us cease to sew and work, but we should labor, spin and sew, and not be overanxious and worry. . . .Thank you, flowers, you, who are to be devoured by the cows! God has exalted you very highly, that you become our masters and teachers. . . .

The flower stands there that we should see it, it strikes us and says: If thou hadst the adornment of the whole world even then thou wouldst not be equal to me, who stand here, and am not the least worried whence this adornment comes to me. I do not however concern myself about that, here I stand alone and do nothing and although thou art beautifully adorned, thou art still sickly and servest impotent mammon; I however am fresh and beautiful and serve the true and righteous God.

In the sermon, Luther also discusses the difference between faith (which is internal) and love (which is external). He says that while we should not have anxiety in our faith towards God, as the examples of the birds and the flowers teach us, it is quite appropriate to have anxiety in our love for our neighbors, which is the purpose of vocation. That is, in our concern for others. It is fitting for parents to worry about their children, or citizens to be anxious about their country, or workers to be fretful about their customers, or parishioners to be in anguish about their fellow Christians in need.

Our life and a Christian character consist of two parts, of faith and of love. The first points us to God, the other to our neighbor. The first, namely faith, is not visible, God alone sees that; the other is visible, and is love, that we are to manifest to our neighbor. Now the anxiety that springs from love is commanded, but that which accompanies faith is forbidden. If I believe that I have a God, then I cannot be anxious about my welfare; for if I know that God cares for me as a father for his child, why should I fear? Why need I to be anxious, I simply say: Art thou my Father, then I know that no evil will befall me, as Psalm 16:8 says: “I have set Jehovah always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Thus he has all things in his hand; therefore I shall want nothing, he will care for me. If I rush ahead and try to care for myself, that is always contrary to faith; therefore God forbids this kind of anxiety. But it is his pleasure to maintain the anxious care of love, that we may help others, and share our possessions and gifts with them. Am I a ruler, I am to care for my subjects; am I a housefather, I must take care of the members of my family, and so forth, according as each one has received his gifts from God. God cares for all, and his is the care that pertains to faith. We are also to be interested in one another and this is the care of love, namely, when something is given to me, that I be diligent so that others may also receive it.

HT: Jackie

Image by Cock-Robin from Pixabay

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Our Book on Family Vocation Is On Sale This Week, for Cheap

Last updated on: August 23, 2019 at 8:47 pm By Gene Veith

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Crossway is holding a sale on the e-book of Family Vocation: God’s Calling in Marriage, Parenting and Childhood, the book I wrote with my daughter, Mary Moerbe. All this week, you can buy it for only $3.99.

Today when we hear about “vocation” and even the “doctrine of vocation,” we think of the work that we do to make a living. But when the Bible talks about it–as well as Martin Luther who brought this teaching back into importance–the major emphasis is on the vocations of the family: being a husband or wife, father or mother, son or daughter.

Today, when so many marriages are having problems, when parents struggle over the best way to raise their children, when children themselves–whether growing up or as having left the nest–have tensions with their parents and siblings, and when the very institution of the family is being questioned and revised, the doctrine of vocation is startlingly illuminating, practical, and transformative.

Here is how the editors describe it on Amazon:

What does it mean to be called as a husband, a wife, a parent, a child? How does the grace of the gospel impact how we carry out our particular calling? How does God’s presence influence the struggles that families face?

Gene Veith joins forces with his daughter Mary Moerbe to explore these kinds of questions as well as the roles of calling and vocation in family life. Though we have little control over who is in our family (other than choosing a spouse and deciding to have children), God has placed us with specific people for specific reasons. Veith and Moerbe show how our roles are distinct and important to God’s plan for our lives—and that when we have a biblical understanding of those roles in our families, we can move away from common dysfunctions and toward forgiveness and healing.

Writing with sensitivity and wisdom, Veith and Moerbe address the common problems facing contemporary families: the crosses, the weaknesses, and the uncertainties. They articulate a compelling, biblical paradigm for creating and sustaining loving and forgiving families who maintain hope in the face of cultural pressure. This book is an important resource for all Christians, including pastors, counselors, and those working in family ministry.

This is a good gift for newlyweds and couples planning to get married. It is also good reading for new parents. Also for husbands and wives having problems in their marriages, or parents at their wits’ end. But also the happily-married, the happily-parenting, and the happily-parented, who will appreciate seeing just how God is working in their families.

From August 25 through August 31, you can download the e-book, which usually costs $7.09, for only $3.99. You can also buy the paperback for $7.46, a markdown from the usual price of $15.99. Go here, or click the icon below:

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My Book on Vocation Is On Sale for Cheap

Last updated on: July 1, 2019 at 11:09 pm By Gene Veith

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I just heard from Crossway that they are running a special promotion of my book God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life. You can buy the e-book on Amazon for a mere $3.99.

This is the book that explores the key concepts of the Reformation doctrine of vocation. It has been instrumental in the current rediscovery of that liberating, transformative teaching, which shows Christians how to live out their faith in the workplace, the family, the culture, and the church.

The key concepts are that God Himself works through human beings in their various vocations as they sacrificially love and serve their neighbors in their ordinary lives. In the everyday offices, tasks, and relationships that God calls us to (such as marriage, parenthood, work, citizenship, congregational life), we bear the Cross, struggle against sin, experience forgiveness, and so grow in our faith and holiness.

If you haven’t read it yet, I think you would find it helpful. At any rate, you can save $12 by buying it here.

The offer is good through July 6.

If you want to learn even more about vocation, you’ll also want to read the book that I co-wrote with my daughter, Mary Moerbe, Family Vocation: God’s Calling in Marriage, Parenting, and Childhood.

Also the book commissioned by the Acton Institute on the socio-economic dimension of vocation: Working for Our Neighbor: A Lutheran Primer on Vocation, Economics, and Ordinary Life.

Please excuse this commercial. I didn’t make up this stuff about vocation. This was a major emphasis of the Protestant Reformation and a big reason that movement had the impact that it did. Strangely, even Protestants drifted away from these teachings. I wrote these books to help recover this concept and to help other people benefit from it as I have done. And they seem to be accomplishing those purposes.

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Research on Christian Vocation

Last updated on: June 12, 2019 at 7:04 am By Gene Veith

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The Barna Research Group, in conjunction with Abilene Christian University, has published a study entitled Christians at Work. It demonstrates that Christians’ awareness of the doctrine of vocation seems to have grown considerably over the past few years. But I’m not sure the researchers or the subjects fully “get” the concept.

According to a summary, 50% of Millennials, 39% of Generation X-ers, and 37% of Baby Boomers say that “I feel ‘made for’ or ‘called’ to the work I currently do.” It may seem odd that people at the end of their careers feel less “called” than those at the beginning–especially since many Millennial young adults are not yet settled in the professions they have prepared for–but I suspect that the data is showing that younger Christians are more aware of the concept than the older generations.

But though the report keeps using the word “vocation,” the term has reference only to “work,” which of course is the emphasis of the study, but, properly speaking, our “callings” also have to do with family, citizenship, and church. In fact, what we do for a living is subordinate to our vocations in the earthly estates that God has ordained, so that whatever we are doing to support ourselves and our family–whether or not it corresponds to “my unique strengths, talents, and capabilities” (as one survey question puts it)–is fulfilling our primary callings as husband, father, and citizen. In fact, the report seems to play work and church involvement off against our work, as if they were not all facets of God’s calling.

More problematic is that much of the survey focuses on “satisfaction,” perpetuating the misconception that our vocations from God have to do with our self-fulfillment. Some do, and some don’t. Some vocations give us a sense of fulfillment some times, but not other times. But “self” is not the point.

The purpose of every vocation is to love and serve the neighbors that the vocation brings into our lives (spouse; children; fellow church members; fellow citizens; clients; customers; etc.). In the course of that service, we sacrifice ourselves for others, experience trials and tribulations, fall into sin and repent and receive Christ’s forgiveness, and so grow in our faith and our sanctification.

But there was one question that related to serving our neighbor: “I want to use my gifts and talents for the good of others.” Among Millennials, 67% agreed; among Generation X-ers, 60%; among Baby Boomers, 57%.

The oft-criticized Millennial generation of Christians seems to have more of a sense of vocation than us Baby Boomers. That bodes well, though we all have more to learn.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay, Pixabay License

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“Vocation: How God Provides for Us”

Last updated on: April 1, 2019 at 2:51 pm By Gene Veith

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The magazine Interest Time has a special issue on vocation. The lead article “Vocation: How God Provides for Us” by Demian Farnworth is an excellent introduction to the concept. The issue also includes an interview with me, in which, among other things, I tell how I first discovered vocation.

Interest Time is a publication of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF), a financial services organization that handles savings and investments for congregations and their members and that provides loans for church buildings and other worthy projects. The LCEF has nearly 60,000 investors, and this magazine goes out to them, but it’s available online.

The special issue actually is more than just an introduction, since it brings out many facets of vocation that go deeper into the concept. The lead article, which is unsigned but Demian–a Senior Content Writer for LCEF–admitted to me that he is the author, not only draws on my three books but on the insights of other folks: Ft. Wayne seminary professor John Pless explained how vocation is related to justification, baptism, and sacrifice. Deaconness Betsy Karkan discussed vocation as gift, which entails not only blessings but also crosses that we have to bear. Pastor Andrew Preus explained how vocation “contains”–but is not identical with–occupation:

“An occupation,” said Rev. Andrew Preus, senior pastor of two Lutheran churches in Iowa, “is what you do within your vocation. Vocation contains an occupation. The occupation serves the vocation.”

“A father, for example, works as a plumber to support his family as well as other families, his church and even to pay taxes to give revenue to whom revenue is due.”. . .

“Father is instituted by God,” Preus said. “Christian is instituted by God. Plumber isn’t. You can, without sinning, stop being a plumber. You can’t, without sinning, decide to stop being a father.”

The issue also included an interview with me, conducted by Demian. Here is a sample from that:

When did you know you should write about vocation:

I had been asked to speak to a group of Christian artists, and, in the course of trying to find a topic, I picked up a book that a friend had given me: Gustav Wingren’s Luther on Vocation. I thought I knew what vocation was, but I was astonished at what I was learning from this book, things I had never heard before. So I taught these artists about vocation, and when I saw the impact it was having on them—some were weeping with joy—I knew that I should try to make Luther’s teachings about vocation more broadly known.

What do you wish your younger self knew about vocation?

Vocation is not primarily about self-fulfillment, happiness, or success (though these may come). Rather, vocation has to do with self-sacrificially loving and serving the neighbors whom our callings bring into our lives. . . .

What’s threatens the doctrine of vocation?

The cult of the self, which reduces our economic labors to self-interest, destroys families in the name of self-fulfillment, and ensures our isolation from the neighbors whom God calls us to love and to serve.

[Keep reading. . .]

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay, Creative Commons License

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