Exploring God’s Call(s) in Your Life
Written by Pr. Kate Reuer Welton
We are thrilled to welcome author and theologian the Rev. Drew Tucker to lead us in a conversation about the many calls that we have in our lives, or what some Christian communities (ours included!) talk about as “vocation.”
Vocation is an English word that grows from the Latin root, vocare, which means “to call.” As people of God, we are called by the one who names us beloved, before or beyond anything we do or don’t do. It is that grounding in unconditional grace, mercy, and love that sets us free to live a life of love, delight, and compassion. While the influence of our culture and economy might tell us that we have to find just the right job, or social circle, or partner in order to find that deep well of meaning and purpose, the Christian story is a different one. We rest in the love of God, and are called out of the deep well of God’s unconditional love to share that love with the world. That is our starting point.
And from there, it is our great delight to wonder, with God, and in community, who and what we might be called to be and to do in this world! Although it may feel like a high-pressure decision, the journey of discernment can also be full of joy and connection, fun and inspiration. The beautiful thing about vocation is that it’s always evolving as the seasons of our life shift and change. Our call to be friend, worker, healer, partner, parent, child will always be ebbing, and flowing at different moments in our life.
You are not yet finished, beloved. This conversation will be an important starting point for our life together as a community, and there is room for you in it whether you are quite certain about all of your paths in life, or whether your path is feeling uncharted. Your perspectives, honest questions, and longings will shape the conversations at your table, and will shape our community through the year.
We’ll begin with a meal at 6:15pm, and then settle in for a meaningful conversation with Pastor Drew. It is my hope that this spurs deeper interest in a conversation about vocation that we might continue through the school year. I’m really looking forward to sharing in all of this, with you. And please RSVP today so we have enough food for all!
