Product Description

Culture expert Gene Veith unpacks the biblical, Reformation teaching about the doctrine of vocation, emphasizing not what we should specifically do with our time or what careers we are called to, but what God does in and through our callings--even within the home. In each task He has given us--in our workplaces and families, our churches and society--God Himself is at work. Veith guides you to discover God's purpose and calling in those seemingly ordinary areas by providing you with a spiritual framework for thinking about such issues and for acting upon them with a changed perspective.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22916 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Customer Reviews

Christian Calling and Vocation
I enjoyed reading this book. God is using us through his various callings and vocations -- the world of sociology just calls them "roles." According to Veith, faith gives our calling or vocation "meaning." Also, as Christians we do not do sinful work, nor do we desire to harm others while pursuing our calling (thus, we would not engage in office "back stabbing"). He stresses that the Lord God Almighty is using us where we are -- in the office, as parents, as children, etc. We are uniquely positioned by God Himself to carry out His purposes. We know what our duties are, and carry them out according to Biblical principles of personal conduct.
Part of me, however, is asking the questions: what about our Christian witness? What about interceding for our co-workers in prayer (he speaks more about praying for ourselves and bearing our cross in vocation)? What Christian qualities are essential for manifestation in the workplace? I have these question, yes, but at the same time I think that Prof. Veith has hit on the essentials: bearing one's cross, prayer, and resting in our vocation.
A Christian friend of mine who is perennially "between jobs" now is working in a place where sometimes he's on the front desk, sometimes he's laying tiles, sometimes he's witnessing to people and sharing the gospel message. He likes to talk about irons in the fire, and how in the days ahead he hopes to be doing 'more.' I told him about vocation (having just read Prof. Veith's book) -- that he was serving the Lord in the here and now by these various activities. His various duties TODAY are his vocation. He was immensely encouraged when I said that. His outlook immediately brightened. My conclusion: Prof. Veith's work provides us with essential understandings for pastoral encouragement. Amen.

Veith and Vocation
This book is excellent for showing the relationship between vocation and how God works in the world. It gets to the point in multiple ways, allowing the reader to clearly see that vocation is an important doctrine that Christianity has seemed to put in a drawer and forget. Veith's writing is clear. The book moves and does not become bogged down in what could be a ponderous subject. I was reading this book based on a group review of the book and was very surprised at how useful the book is and how well Veith coverd the topic. This is a msut read for anyone who is wondering about their role in life or has to answer the question, why did God put me here?

Getting it together
Veith, as in his other books, does an excellent job of expressing theological concepts and their applications for the lay person. This book pulls a lot of things together for the lay person who struggles in finding meaning in 'love your neighbor' outside the context of the church setting. We rarely hear about how we can serve the Lord outside of the church organization. This books researches and applies the doctrine of vocation, as understood by Luther and our reformation fathers. It gives new meaning to 'love your neighbor' in everyday life. A good read for those who want to see how God works through us and for us through the mundane tasks of everyday life.