{"id":51105,"date":"2020-09-07T06:00:13","date_gmt":"2020-09-07T10:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/?p=51105"},"modified":"2020-09-05T11:23:06","modified_gmt":"2020-09-05T15:23:06","slug":"the-spirituality-of-everyday-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2020\/09\/the-spirituality-of-everyday-life\/","title":{"rendered":"The Spirituality of Everyday Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In our efforts to Christianize \u201cLabor Day\u201d by turning it into a feast day celebrating the Doctrine of Vocation, I would like to offer you some recent reflections on why vocation is so important, how it can solve so many of the problems Christians are currently struggling with, and how it has the potential to revitalize contemporary Christianity.<\/p>\n

This is from the introduction to the chapter on vocation that I wrote with Trevor Sutton in our book Authentic Christianity:\u00a0 How Lutheran Theology Speaks to a Post-Modern World:<\/a><\/p>\n

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The Reformation contributed three major teachings that would characterize Protestantism in all its diversity: justification by faith, the authority of Scripture, and the doctrine of vocation. The first two still have currency, despite recent criticisms. But the concept of vocation has been gradually lost. First it was turned into a \u201cwork ethic.\u201d Then it turned into a pious attitude empty of specific content. Eventually it was reduced to just another synonym for \u201ca job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vocation was never meant to be just another word for \u201coccupation.\u201d Rather, it was originally about the Christian life that is fully integrated, meaningful, and teeming with purpose. Vocation was the locus for other important teachings, such as the priesthood of all believers, good works, and sanctification. It was not merely a theoretical teaching; rather, as taught in the early Reformation catechisms and sermons, the doctrine of vocation gave practical guidance to Christians in their marriages, parenthood, economic activity, and their role as citizens.<\/p>\n

The doctrine of vocation shows Christians how to live out their faith in the world<\/span>. It is about God\u2019s presence in the world and how He works through human beings for His purposes. For Christians, vocation discloses the spirituality of everyday life.<\/p>\n

Today Christians are greatly confused about how they should relate to the world. This is evident in the controversies about political involvement and cultural engagement. On the personal scale, champions of \u201cfamily values\u201d have a soaring divorce rate. Many Christians compartmentalize their lives, conforming to a consumerist and materialistic culture, while pursuing transcendent spiritual experiences that have little to do with their everyday lives. Christians today are variously\u2014and sometimes simultaneously\u2014waging culture wars, withdrawing from the world, and conforming to it.<\/p>\n

The time is right to recover the doctrine of vocation. Doing so would revitalize contemporary Christianity and show Christians how once again they can be the world\u2019s salt and light.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The chapter goes on with sections\u00a0 on \u201cVocation and the Bible,\u201d \u201cLuther on Vocation,\u201d \u201cThe Christian\u2019s Multiple Vocations\u201d (including Luther\u2019s important but oft-neglected doctrine of the Estates [the church, the household, the state, and the common order of Christian love], \u201cThe Importance of Vocation in the Christian Life,\u201d \u201cThe Purpose of Vocation,\u201d \u201cThe Priesthood and Its Sacrifices,\u201d and \u201cVocation and Transfiguration.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those of you who have been interested in my writings on vocation\u2013especially my books God at Work<\/a>, Family Vocation<\/a> (with Mary Moerbe), and Working for Our Neighbor<\/a>\u2013might also appreciate this new overview that can be found in Authentic Christianity.<\/a><\/p>\n

You can buy the book\u2013which also includes similar treatments of God, justification, the cross, the sacraments, the two kingdoms, and sanctification\u2013\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Illustration: \u201cHappy Labor Day Cross Drawing,\u201d Creative Commons, CC0 via Pixy.org<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n<\/blockquote><\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In our efforts to Christianize “Labor Day” by turning it into a feast day celebrating the Doctrine of Vocation, I would like to offer you some recent reflections on why vocation is so important, how it can solve so many of the problems Christians are currently struggling with, and how it has the potential to revitalize contemporary Christianity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1281,"featured_media":51113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,34,48],"tags":[4537,5807,4783,1254,4359,4780],"class_list":["post-51105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-holidays","category-personal","category-vocation","tag-a-trevor-sutton","tag-authentic-christianity","tag-gene-veiths-books","tag-labor-day","tag-vocation","tag-vocation-day"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Spirituality of Everyday Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In our 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