(Artwork: Elizabeth Greets Mary by Jason Sierra)
Vocation
Consider the following reflection on vocation by Pastor Drew Tucker in his book, 4D Formation: Exploring Vocation in Community.
“I define vocation as ‘any meaningful, life-giving work you do for the world.’ Since this is a new definition, I’ll come back to it frequently. By meaningful, I mean something full of integrity, value, or purpose. By life-giving, I mean anything that promotes human flourishing rather than threatens physical, mental, spiritual, relational, or environmental health.” (pg. 9)
While some people hear the word ‘work’ and think only of paid employment or work within a church, when we speak of our vocation, our ‘work’ is anything we undertake in the world. The work of being an accountant is a part of our vocation. The work of being a life-long learner is a part of our vocation. The work of caring for a friend or family member who is struggling is a part of our vocation. The work of parenting and grandparenting is a part of our vocation. The work of caring for your own mental and emotional health is a part of our vocation. As Pastor Tucker said, ‘any meaningful, live-giving work you do for the world’ is vocation.
As you explore ways to grow deeper in your relationship with God, consider how your faith is a part of your activity in the world and how your activity in the world might lead you to a deeper understanding of what you believe.
Questions for Reflection:
- What are some of the vocations you have in the world?
- How does your vocation contribute to the world God loves?
- How does your faith make a difference in the way you interact with the world around you?