What is Vocation?What is Vocation?

What are we doing here?What are we doing here?

Vocation DefinedVocation Defined

Mark 12:30 “And you shall love the Lord your God with Mark 12:30 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all you all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all you mind, and with all your strength.”mind, and with all your strength.”

Mark 12:31 “The second is this, ‘You shall love your Mark 12:31 “The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”commandment greater than these.”

Genesis 1:28 “God blessed them; and God said to Genesis 1:28 “God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”moves on the earth.”

Vocation DefinedVocation Defined

““A Christian’s main vocation is to become a A Christian’s main vocation is to become a prime citizen of the kingdom of God—and this prime citizen of the kingdom of God—and this is true of every Christian…” Plantinga, p 110.is true of every Christian…” Plantinga, p 110.

““Our entire lives shaped around the mold that Our entire lives shaped around the mold that God wants us to be.” Nate KamermanGod wants us to be.” Nate Kamerman

““A man’s upbringing, his talents, his A man’s upbringing, his talents, his circumstances, are usually a tolerable index of circumstances, are usually a tolerable index of his vocation.” Lewis, his vocation.” Lewis, Learning in WartimeLearning in Wartime, p 3., p 3.

Past and VocationPast and Vocation

““A man’s upbringing, A man’s upbringing, his talents, his his talents, his circumstances, are circumstances, are usually a tolerable usually a tolerable index of his vocation.” index of his vocation.” Lewis, Lewis, Learning in Learning in WartimeWartime, p 3., p 3.

Jesus’ disciples…Jesus’ disciples… Examples…Examples…

Hotel RwandaHotel Rwanda MontanaMontana

Present and VocationPresent and Vocation ““A man’s upbringing, A man’s upbringing,

his talents, his his talents, his circumstances, are circumstances, are usually a tolerable usually a tolerable index of his index of his vocation.” Lewis, vocation.” Lewis, Learning in WartimeLearning in Wartime, , p 3.p 3.

Calvin CollegeCalvin College World EventsWorld Events

September 11September 11thth

WarWar ChristianityChristianity

Vocation is…PainfulVocation is…Painful

““No doubt Pain as God’s megaphone is a No doubt Pain as God’s megaphone is a terrible instrument; it may lead to final terrible instrument; it may lead to final and unrepented rebellion. But it gives and unrepented rebellion. But it gives the only opportunity the bad man can the only opportunity the bad man can have for amendment. It removes the have for amendment. It removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul.” Lewis, fortress of a rebel soul.” Lewis, The The Problem of Pain, Problem of Pain, p 83,p 83,

2 Timothy 1:8, “Therefore do not be 2 Timothy 1:8, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospelsuffering for the gospel according to the according to the power of God…” (italics mine)power of God…” (italics mine)

Vocation is…JoyfulVocation is…Joyful

Philippians 4:4-5, “Rejoice in the Philippians 4:4-5, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Lord always; again I will say,

rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is known to all men. The Lord is

near.”near.”

““God cannot give happiness and God cannot give happiness and peace apart from Himself, peace apart from Himself,

because it is not there. There is because it is not there. There is no such thing.” Lewisno such thing.” Lewis

Vocation is…ShapingVocation is…Shaping“We were made for God.

Only by being in some respect like Him, only by being a manifestation of His beauty, lovingkindness, wisdom or goodness, has any earthly Beloved excited our love… It is not that we shall be asked to turn from them, so dearly familiar, to a Stranger. When we see the face of God we shall know that we have always known it.” Lewis, The Four Loves.

“But now , O Lord, You are

our Father,We are the clay, and you

our potter;And all of us are thework of Your hand.”

Isaiah 64: 8

Vocation is…MysteriousVocation is…MysteriousJeremiah 29:11-12, “ ‘For I know the plans that Jeremiah 29:11-12, “ ‘For I know the plans that

I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.’ ” you search for Me with all your heart.’ ”

Vocation is…All-EncompassingVocation is…All-Encompassing

I Corinthians 10:31, “Whether, then I Corinthians 10:31, “Whether, then you at or drink or whatever you you at or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God…”do, do all to the glory of God…”

““We try, when we wake, to lay the We try, when we wake, to lay the new day at God’s feet; before we new day at God’s feet; before we have finished shaving, it becomes have finished shaving, it becomes our day and God’s share in it is our day and God’s share in it is felt as a tribute which we must pay felt as a tribute which we must pay out of ‘our own’ pocket, a out of ‘our own’ pocket, a deduction from the time ought, we deduction from the time ought, we feel, to be ‘our own’.A man starts feel, to be ‘our own’.A man starts a new job with a sense of vocation a new job with a sense of vocation and, perhaps, for the first week and, perhaps, for the first week still keeps the discharge of the still keeps the discharge of the vocation as his end, taking the vocation as his end, taking the plasures and pains from God’s plasures and pains from God’s hand, as they come as hand, as they come as ‘accidents’…” Lewis, ‘accidents’…” Lewis, The The Problem of Pain,Problem of Pain, p 63. p 63.

Vocation is…DifficultVocation is…Difficult““When humans should have become When humans should have become

as perfect in voluntary obedience as perfect in voluntary obedience as the inanimate creation is in its as the inanimate creation is in its lifeless obedience , then they will lifeless obedience , then they will

put on its glory, or rather that put on its glory, or rather that greater glory of which Nature is greater glory of which Nature is only the first sketch.” Lewis, only the first sketch.” Lewis, The The

Weight of GloryWeight of Glory

Philippians 4:12-13, “I know how to Philippians 4:12-13, “I know how to get along with humble means, and get along with humble means, and

I also know how to live in I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every prosperity; in any and every

circumstance I have learned the circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going secret of being filled and going

hungry, both of having abundance hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all and suffering need. I can do all

things through Him who things through Him who strengthens me.”strengthens me.”

Vocation is…WorshipVocation is…Worship

This is the pattern which man was made to imitate—This is the pattern which man was made to imitate—which Paradisal man did imitate—and whatever the which Paradisal man did imitate—and whatever the

will conferred back in delighted and delighting will conferred back in delighted and delighting obedience by the creature, there, most undoubtedly, is obedience by the creature, there, most undoubtedly, is

Heaven, and there the Holy Ghost proceeds.” Lewis, Heaven, and there the Holy Ghost proceeds.” Lewis, Problem of PainProblem of Pain, p 79., p 79.

““Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me bless His holy name.” Psalm 103:1.bless His holy name.” Psalm 103:1.

““I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses buy completes the praise not merely expresses buy completes the

enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.” Lewis, enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.” Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms.Reflections on the Psalms.

Vocation is…a CommunityVocation is…a Community

Romans 12:4-5, “For just as we have many members in Romans 12:4-5, “For just as we have many members in one bady and all the members do not have the same one bady and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.and individually members one of another.

““God uses the Christian church and her ‘means of grace’ God uses the Christian church and her ‘means of grace’ (preaching and sacraments, for instance) to spread the (preaching and sacraments, for instance) to spread the news about Jesus and the kingdom and to help people news about Jesus and the kingdom and to help people take the news to heart. Of all the ways that we can take the news to heart. Of all the ways that we can express our citizenship in the kingdom of God, none is express our citizenship in the kingdom of God, none is more obvious than becoming an active member of our more obvious than becoming an active member of our local church.” Plantinga, 110-111.local church.” Plantinga, 110-111.

Vocation is…a BlessingVocation is…a Blessing

Philippians 4: 6-7, 9 “Be anxious Philippians 4: 6-7, 9 “Be anxious for nothing but in everything by for nothing but in everything by

prayer and supplication with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And be made known to God. And

the peace of God which the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. …The minds in Christ Jesus. …The things you have learned and things you have learned and received and heard and seen received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be and the God of peace will be

with you.”with you.”

It is good to giveIt is good to givethanks to the Lordthanks to the Lord

And to sing praises to And to sing praises to Your name, O Most HighYour name, O Most High

To declare YourTo declare Yourlovingkindness in the morninglovingkindness in the morningAnd your faithfulness by nightAnd your faithfulness by night

Psalm 92: 1-2Psalm 92: 1-2

…….and find your own conclusion!.and find your own conclusion!