This Side of the Pulpit » Entries tagged with "vocation"
The Busyness Boast
The thing about busyness is that it’s a back-handed boast. Being busy means having much to do, implying that you work hard, that you’re important, that you’re active and engaged and productive. This is in contrast to those who don’t have much to contribute, do not have much to do, do not work, or work hard enough–useless people. Busy people are useful. But it’s a boast and a defensive move, sometimes used by people who do not feel important, who feel that they are disrespected. It’s a defensive move. It’s also an iron-clad defense against doing more projects or making more commitments. When I hear people say that they have a busy week ahead I feel dread. I dread because it means they will be stressed, perhaps even scattered. I dread because … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
Awake, O Sleeper. Or, Doing the Stuff We Need to Do
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net I was looking through some old memos on the Centro and found a record of exercises recording in October. What I lifted, how much, how many reps and so forth. I was depressed. It was about the same, maybe even a little more than I did last week. A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with high cholesterol during a routine check-up. Since then I’ve been exercising at the Y a couple of times a week…for a while, then life or illness or Summertime gets in the way and I stop. Since October I took a few weeks off during Advent/Christmas. Then another three weeks off when I got costochronditis (inflammation of the cartilage in the sternum). Sometimes I just don’t feel like going. When the kids don’t have … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
Wish Dreams and Lutheranism: Part II
Since I called Pr. Weedon’s idea a “wish dream,” I thought I should provide a definition of what this is. In my first term at Concordia Seminary we were required to read Bonhoeffer’s Life Together. It’s a pretty good book, though I haven’t looked at it in 13 years (13!!). The following passage seized the imagination of my friends and I, and ever since we have identified the “what-if’s” and “if onlies” of ministry and parish life as the “wish dream.” Innumerable times a whole Christian community has broken down because it had sprung from a wish dream. The serious Christian, set down for the first time in a Christian community, is likely to bring with him a very definite idea of what Christian life together should be and to try … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
Wish Dreams and Lutheranism
My friend Pr. Weedon has an interesting “wish dream” post at his blog. For the sake of convenience, here it is (my comments below): IF I Could Start A Mission Congregation… …here’s what it would look like: A single Divine Service Sunday a.m., with Matins preceding it (no sermon). Additionally, I’d have Saturday Evening Vespers with opportunity following it for Confession and Absolution each week. The people would be encouraged in a life of prayer – so we’d offer Matins and Vespers at regular set times during the week, employing material from Treasury of Daily Prayer. Eucharist would be celebrated on every Sunday and every feast and festival in our LSB calendar. Sunday afternoons from September through Easter would offer the Catechism Service. We’d get together for the joy of sharing … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
A Rerun
Two half-written posts, unpublished. Today is not my day to blog here. So instead, a blast from the past. Originally published on August 23, 2007 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Last week my wife started reading The Swiss Family Robinson (in adapted form) to the kiddos. I love it when she does this. A year or so ago she read a children’s redaction of The Pilgrim’s Progress and even the littlest ones loved it (and the illustrations). The story has been on my mind a lot lately, and the stupidest question I had was, “What kind of Swiss name is ‘Robinson?’” It’s not, obviously, and the title should be emphasized as The Swiss Family Robinson, not The Swiss Family Robinson. In other words, the Swiss author (a pastor) is telling the story of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
Good Advice for You Priests
As this week finds me doing all kinds of things Fr. Jonathan counsels against, here is his advice: * Avoid handling money and politics * Wear black socks, shine your shoes, be well-groomed * Speak and write English simply and well * There may be no difference between a mood and a passion * Avoid anger * The most dangerous part of a speech is the joke * Grow a simple routine, savor productive boredom * Only a fool would legislate ascesis and arcane rubrics before he first lived them himself * Parochial gossip isn’t always bad, but it is frequently toxic … … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
Distractions
There’s my work and all that I do, all that I left undone, all that I could do. There are too many hobbies. There are too many projects. Then of course, are all the chores, the mowing, the cleaning, the fixing, the painting, the folding. Then there’s my children who are growing up right in front of me and I feel that my time is spent carping and correcting and sighing and cajoling and I’m missing it. Then there’s t.v. and two hours of Heroes last night. Then there’s movies. Then there’s computers and blogs, games and sports. There is working out. There are also car repairs. There are books and magazines. And there’s sleeping and eating and resting. And our enemy scatters and distracts and shines lights upon those things we are not doing and gives us thoughts about yesterday … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
The Symptoms of Avoiding Vocations
I’ve been thinking and praying a lot lately about using our time and gifts well, and doing what God would have us do. Evangelical and Charismatic Christians speak often about having a “call” to do this or that. They use this language sometimes to mean that they have a strong desire to do something, have prayed about it, and really want to do it. Other times they will say that they “are called by God,” and this is an excuse not to do something you want them to. In one sense these Christians have it right. God has given each of us gifts and a vocation–a calling, a situation, a place in which to serve Him and our neighbors. Working in our vocation is, truly, doing what … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
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