Reflections for 9/27/11

"Like duty,' 'law,', 'religion,' the word 'vocation' has a dull ring to it, but in terms of what it means, it is really not dull at all. 'vocare, to call, of course, and a man's vocation is a man's calling. It is the wok that he is called to in this world, the thing that he is summoned to spend his life doing. We can speak of a man's choosing his vocation, but perhaps it is at least as accurate to speak of a vocation's choosing the man, of a call's being given and a man's hearing it, or not hearing it.  And maybe that is the place to start; the business of listening and hearing. A man's life is full of all sorts of voices calling him in all sorts of directions. Some of them are voices from inside and some of them are voices from outside. The more alive and alert we are, the more clamorous our lives are. Which do we listen to? What kind of voice do we listen for." (F. Buechner "Listening to Your Life" p.259)

One of the first arguments I remember having in the ordination process was over the difference between a vocation and a profession.  My line of work seems to be both. It is a vocation in that I feel called to it and it is also a profession, I do get paid.

When any individual looks at what they do for a living they might encounter the same question.  Is the work that they do just a means to a pay check and they could think of plenty of other things they'd rather be doing or is it something that also gives them meaning and purpose. That is a distinction in my mind. 

It could be asked if something you would gladly do something for free is that a definer for vocation or is that something different, maybe that's just a passion, except that parenthood can be seen as a vocation and has no financial rewards.

I do agree that the key to most of what we choose to do with our time does involve listening.  And there are certainly plenty of "voices" crying out for our attention.  But how to know which voice is calling towards something that is real and which is just a siren song, is the real test.  And sometimes even decisions on professions can get muddied.

I know for myself that having a lot of interests does make for quite a symphony in my head.  But when I take the time to really listen, to prioritize and ultimately to pray about those voices, the real calling manages to break through.

Blessings,
Ed