| Life,
Jobs, Career:
The Lutheran Understanding of Vocation
What do Lutherans mean by vocation?
Vocation means “calling.” From a Lutheran viewpoint, pastors or others who work for the church have a vocation, but Christians who work outside the church do too. Any job or career becomes a “Christian vocation” if a Christian remembers to do a job as part of her or his call from God to serve others.
Lutherans often speak about pastors have a “calling” to the ministry of the gospel. This is true, but the Lutheran Church also
teaches [more] that every Christian is called by God to serve others. Christians in every walk of life are called to demonstrate love and do good. Everything we do is to be done for the glory of God, including our work.This means that all honest work can be a Christian vocation or calling. We do our jobs as Christians when we do our jobs as effectively and honestly as possible. For example, a Christian factory worker may want to lead a Bible study during lunch break, but doing so does not make that person a Christian factory worker. Doing quality instead of shoddy work while on the assembly line makes the job a Christian vocation. Why? Because doing so contributes to the well-being of society and thereby serves others.
The idea of Christian vocation also extends to unemployed people and people whose lives do not include work for pay. For example, teenagers who are Christians share in a calling to do their work as students as honestly and effectively as possible.What can I do to help youth understand this idea?
- Encourage youth to consider the public ministry as a vocation. The ELCA needs pastors and other church leaders! But in doing so, don’t disparage or discount the daily work of all God’s people. All vocations and jobs, when done by Christians, can and should be done for the glory of God and in service of others, even if the work is not overtly religious.
- As a leader of youth, you should demonstrate by word and example how you understand your work as a vocation to honor God and serve others.
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