Comments on: Laundry and Tosca http://www.whateverthings.org/2006/10/06/laundry-and-tosca/ All in his name ... Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:16:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Following the Dream » An older blog post http://www.whateverthings.org/2006/10/06/laundry-and-tosca/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Following the Dream » An older blog post Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:16:12 +0000 http://whateverthings.org/2006/10/06/laundry-and-tosca/#comment-31 [...] Franzon wrote up a beautiful piece musing on some of the lessons he gleaned from the documentary Laundry and Tosca back in 2006, and I [...] [...] Franzon wrote up a beautiful piece musing on some of the lessons he gleaned from the documentary Laundry and Tosca back in 2006, and I [...]

]]> By: Carl http://www.whateverthings.org/2006/10/06/laundry-and-tosca/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Carl Mon, 09 Oct 2006 13:41:41 +0000 http://whateverthings.org/2006/10/06/laundry-and-tosca/#comment-18 Calling is indeed complex. I come back to it often but perhaps not often enough. Some of the difficulty comes from the way we use (define?) the term. Too often we use it only to refer to those in full-time paid ministry. But, all of us, as followers of Jesus are in full-time ministry. Perhaps few people are passionate about their everyday calling because along the way they have been taught that it is a lesser calling or not even a calling at all. Pastors and missionaries get up and talk about their "call to ministry" - do we ever hear anyone else do the same things? Or, if we do, is it only how they are called to a ministry within the church? eBoda, "no one wants to get excited or involved because all of us have gotten passionater before and then found ourselves diving into air instead of water" I think this goes along with my above point to some extent. People often get hurt because the community of which they are a part fails to validate, affirm or recognize the person's calling. I'm sure I am probably guilty of it, e.g. getting upset because someone is not involved in ministry - meaning that they are doing something within the church, although they may be doing a lot for the kingdom. The other quesiton to ask ourselves about this is when we run into an obstacle, how do we respond? I don't have a good answer for this, but I consider missionary stories - Adoniram Judson is one of my favorites. AJ felt called to be a missionary to Burma, he labored for years without a convert, lost his first wife and child to disease yet remained persistent. I don't know - was he following God's call? How do we begin to explain the suffering that he endured while pursuing his call? Oh, for easier answers. Faith@work (http://www.faithatwork.com) has a lot of good stuff on this topic. Maybe it is something for a blog series or sermon series. It's a big topic and the more I consider it the less I think I understand it. Seeing through a glass darkly, Carl Calling is indeed complex. I come back to it often but perhaps not often enough. Some of the difficulty comes from the way we use (define?) the term. Too often we use it only to refer to those in full-time paid ministry. But, all of us, as followers of Jesus are in full-time ministry. Perhaps few people are passionate about their everyday calling because along the way they have been taught that it is a lesser calling or not even a calling at all. Pastors and missionaries get up and talk about their “call to ministry” – do we ever hear anyone else do the same things? Or, if we do, is it only how they are called to a ministry within the church?

eBoda, “no one wants to get excited or involved because all of us have gotten passionater before and then found ourselves diving into air instead of water”

I think this goes along with my above point to some extent. People often get hurt because the community of which they are a part fails to validate, affirm or recognize the person’s calling. I’m sure I am probably guilty of it, e.g. getting upset because someone is not involved in ministry – meaning that they are doing something within the church, although they may be doing a lot for the kingdom.

The other quesiton to ask ourselves about this is when we run into an obstacle, how do we respond? I don’t have a good answer for this, but I consider missionary stories – Adoniram Judson is one of my favorites. AJ felt called to be a missionary to Burma, he labored for years without a convert, lost his first wife and child to disease yet remained persistent. I don’t know – was he following God’s call? How do we begin to explain the suffering that he endured while pursuing his call? Oh, for easier answers.

Faith@work (http://www.faithatwork.com) has a lot of good stuff on this topic. Maybe it is something for a blog series or sermon series. It’s a big topic and the more I consider it the less I think I understand it.

Seeing through a glass darkly,
Carl

]]> By: eBoda http://www.whateverthings.org/2006/10/06/laundry-and-tosca/comment-page-1/#comment-17 eBoda Sun, 08 Oct 2006 19:29:48 +0000 http://whateverthings.org/2006/10/06/laundry-and-tosca/#comment-17 Interesting read..... There are a lot of things about "calling" that I've always struggled with, but I'm not sure I can put it into words. Calling / spiritual gifts? Is there a difference here? I would venture to guess that most people fall into their vocation by accident, even believers. That's kind of sad. I haven't met a lot of passionate people when it comes to their daily "calling" (maybe I just meet the wrong ones?) Did I ever have a calling? I'm sure it wasn't banking. Being a church secretary was fun and fulfilling, but I pretty much fell into that one too. I also wonder about what's going on when a person feels a definite call and passion and then things happen to sidetrack that dream.... a singer is riding her bike and runs into a clothesline injuring her voice, a talented artist loses his sight, a woman with the heart of a mother is infertile or a mother's only child dies, a missionary can't raise support. What is God trying to say in situations like these? People are left with a passion that can't be fulfilled for one reason or another and that can be very frustrating, especially when it seemed like they were making a thoughtful and godly choice at the time. Can we automatically assume that there was no call in the first place? I suppose it has to do with your words: "When we follow our call, there are successes along the way but that they do not always come in the shape or form that we want them to or expect. But, when we do follow our call, whatever that may be, God will give us the success that he wants." Maybe it has something to do with God giving us a passion for something only to prepare us for the REAL ministry which comes after we lose the first thing? We have such limited sight, it's hard to know what God is doing lots of times... or trying to do through us. It does make people fearful though. It's hard to close one's eyes and dive in time after time when God may decide at any moment to drain the pool so to speak. Although the perfect will of God is fulfilled in the end,(which is for the best of course), it's still painful for those whose passions are left wanting. I think this is why there is so much apathy.... no one wants to get excited or involved because all of us have gotten passionate before and then found ourselves diving into air instead of water. Ouch. People are afraid of getting hurt. Yadda yadda..... I talk too much. Like I said... interesting.... Thanks for sharing. Interesting read…..

There are a lot of things about “calling” that I’ve always struggled with, but I’m not sure I can put it into words. Calling / spiritual gifts? Is there a difference here? I would venture to guess that most people fall into their vocation by accident, even believers. That’s kind of sad. I haven’t met a lot of passionate people when it comes to their daily “calling” (maybe I just meet the wrong ones?) Did I ever have a calling? I’m sure it wasn’t banking. Being a church secretary was fun and fulfilling, but I pretty much fell into that one too.

I also wonder about what’s going on when a person feels a definite call and passion and then things happen to sidetrack that dream…. a singer is riding her bike and runs into a clothesline injuring her voice, a talented artist loses his sight, a woman with the heart of a mother is infertile or a mother’s only child dies, a missionary can’t raise support. What is God trying to say in situations like these? People are left with a passion that can’t be fulfilled for one reason or another and that can be very frustrating, especially when it seemed like they were making a thoughtful and godly choice at the time. Can we automatically assume that there was no call in the first place? I suppose it has to do with your words:

“When we follow our call, there are successes along the way but that they do not always come in the shape or form that we want them to or expect. But, when we do follow our call, whatever that may be, God will give us the success that he wants.”

Maybe it has something to do with God giving us a passion for something only to prepare us for the REAL ministry which comes after we lose the first thing? We have such limited sight, it’s hard to know what God is doing lots of times… or trying to do through us. It does make people fearful though. It’s hard to close one’s eyes and dive in time after time when God may decide at any moment to drain the pool so to speak. Although the perfect will of God is fulfilled in the end,(which is for the best of course), it’s still painful for those whose passions are left wanting. I think this is why there is so much apathy…. no one wants to get excited or involved because all of us have gotten passionate before and then found ourselves diving into air instead of water. Ouch. People are afraid of getting hurt.

Yadda yadda….. I talk too much. Like I said… interesting….
Thanks for sharing.

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