Our Vocation

[Carol]

“To pursue other vocations and advance rapidly in the demonstration of this Science, is not possible.” (S&H)

To me this means to always remember what our vocation is—it’s to serve God, to glorify, or express God in everything we do, no matter what it is. We all have to do other things and jobs to go to, but to keep God first and foremost in our thought, we won’t slide down into mere human duties.

There is a wonderful article in the June Newsletter called “Pray Without Ceasing” that tells of a maid who found what that means. She says, “When I begin to work, I pray that I may have strength equal to my day; when I kindle the fire, I pray that God’s work may revive my heart; as I begin to sweep out the house, I pray that my heart may be cleaned from all its impurities; when I am preparing and partaking of the breakfast, I desire to be fed with the sincere milk of the Word.” That’s our one vocation!

[Fairlie]

Thank you! As we learn at Plainfield, “Christian Science is not an exception to the general rule, that there is no excellence without labor in a direct line. One cannot scatter his fire, and at the same time hit the mark.” The longer I’m at Plainfield, the more I understand that to pursue other vocations is impossible in doing the work for God and the world, for which I am very grateful. To have this purpose is the greatest gift God could offer me.

[JPalmer]

Not long after arriving to Plainfield, there was a lesson which included Christ Jesus saying, in Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

At the time, I came to see that I need to make sure I am not loyal to person, but to God. Since then, however, I’ve thought and prayed on that a lot, wondering if there was more to it. And then this week, we have the following citation from Science and Health:

8. 457 : 19-24
Christian Science is not an exception to the general rule, that there is no excellence without labor in a direct line. One cannot scatter his fire, and at the same time hit the mark. To pursue other vocations and advance rapidly in the demonstration of this Science, is not possible.

This had me look up the Webster’s 1828 Dictionary definition:
VOCA’TION, noun [Latin vocatio, from voco, to call. See Voice.]
1. Among divines, a calling by the will of God; or the bestowment of God’s distinguishing grace upon a person or nation, by which that person or nation is put in the way of salvation; as the vocation of the Jews under the old dispensation, and of the Gentiles under the gospel.
2. Summons; call; inducement.
3. Designation or destination to a particular state or profession.
4. Employment; calling; occupation; trade; a word that includes professions as well as mechanical occupations. Let every divine, every physician, every lawyer, and every mechanic, be faithful and diligent in his vocation.

Then it became clear: Mrs. Eddy isn’t saying I need to not have a trade, but that my activities must be directed by God alone. I’ve been able to prove this to myself, as I know that in playing guitar, I cannot heed the calling of music theory and inspiration simultaneously. While working on the church website, I cannot worry about industry trends and what spiritual sense is telling me is right. I cannot even write this post by both being honest to my own understanding and what I think someone else might want to hear.

I am grateful to know that Christian Science is crucial in all areas of Life, not just in part. Knowing that living and working rightly gain the promise of “the bestowment of God’s distinguishing grace upon” us is such a blessing. Thank you for this lesson!

[MaryBeth]

Beautiful! What a great definition of “vocation.” We learn so much more and our understanding is so enriched by delving deeply into these statements and not taking it on a mere superficial level.

[Author]

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