We recently ran into this article from the Catholic Herald in Britain, interviewing Martin Scorsese, director of the new film Silence. In it Scorsese talks about how getting ejected from seminary led him to realize that clergy are not the only ones with vocations. It raises some interesting thoughts about the Catholic theology of vocation and how Scorsese has exercised his vocation…
“You don’t just have a job, you have a vocation!” Really? It feels more like I need a vacation. “Come to the Discover Your Calling class at church!” they told me. I was hoping to get career advice. Instead, I guess my calling was to be a greeter on Sunday morning. “Some people have a calling,” my father said to…
One topic that continually comes up among faith and work leaders is this: should we create more vocation-specific materials? That is, instead of creating resources broadly about, say, work, Sabbath, calling, or caring for the poor, should we create experiences, books or small group studies specifically for those in, say, law, business, architecture or nursing? The topic came up at…
Image via Pixabay CC I’m prepared to contend that the primary location for spiritual formation is the workplace. – Eugene H. Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places I’ve had multiple jobs over the last several years. I don’t live on my own. And if Facebook could list an employment status, mine might often read “It’s Complicated.” Yes, I’m a…
Chris Horst is the vice president of development for HOPE International. He is passionate about issues of faith and entrepreneurship. He is also the author of Mission Drift and Entrepreneurship For Human Flourishing. He blogs regularly and has recently posted an article reflecting on his early jobs and the importance of work. Horst discusses a job he had at a friend’s…
By Greg Forster; part seven of a series. In his masterpiece, Work: The Meaning of Your Life, Lester DeKoster said that work is the primary way in which we, empowered by the Spirit, form ourselves into Christlikeness. “God has so made us that through working we actually sculpt the kind of selves we each are becoming, in time and for eternity.” That’s…
I was privileged to attend the Avodah Summit this past week at Trinity International University. The purpose of this conference was to give pastors and leaders theological vision and practical tools to help believers connect their faith to their daily work and the flourishing of their communities. The conference speakers included Skye Jethani, Steve Garber, Katelyn Beaty, Greg Forster, Jimmy…
A friend of mine just landed a job. The job-hunting process was quite an ordeal. As it turns out, looking for a full-time job is a full-time job. I learned a lot from my friend’s experience, and I am proud of all she did to land a job that seems like the perfect fit. A lot of the work of job hunting involves…
My introduction to an integrated and vibrant view of faith and work came over five years ago. Like many Evangelicals, I grew up in a context where the value of work outside evangelism and the income to support the work of the church just wasn’t discussed. As my mind and heart received the message of an integrated life of discipleship that…
By Greg Forster; part four of a series. If you’re suffering, there is power in saying that you’re suffering. That, or something very close to it, was a comment made about blues music in Ken Burns’ documentary series “Jazz.” One way we can help people suffer without helping them suffer is simply by telling the truth about suffering in work.…
The Green Room 