August 7, 2023 in Communications
Ideas to Encourage Your Peoples’ Vocations
When laity and pastors meet weekly on the SEPA “Now Normal” Zoom you never know what will be discussed. This week, participants explored ways to support and encourage laity in their daily vocations.
[Join each Thursday at 11 am at https://bit.ly/sepacomms]
Vocation was an important concept to Martin Luther as he believed that each person can love and serve God and their neighbor through their baptismal calling and daily life as child, student, spouse, parent, and their daily “jobs” whatever that may be. Vocation is not just a clergy thing. What is the focus of your day? Those are your vocations. We all have multiple vocations through which we serve God and others.
Some ways we discussed to support daily callings to serve were through:
- A Labor Day blessing of the tools of one’s personal vocation. What is the central tool that you think of when you contemplate your vocation? It can be brought to church and blessed over Labor Day weekend or any specially designated Sunday. We bless backpacks, why not bless other vocational tools, too?
- Conduct an interview of worshippers regarding their faith journey. Prepare questions in advance and share them so that people can be prepared. Or, if they are comfortable, do it on the spot. Just ask first.
- Hold a Faith Journey Sunday in which people can sign up and share their stories of their faith journey. How did they come to be a Lutheran? What are their daily faith practices? What is the most meaningful part of their worship life? What do they want to share about their faith journey?
- Contemplate your own Spiritual Autobiography or faith journey. For ideas, do an internet search on Spiritual Autobiography and see what ideas most connect with you or use some of the ideas posted above. You can do this in private or share it in a group setting.
What do you or your congregation want to discuss or get feedback on? The Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod Now Normal Zoom meets weekly on Thursdays at 11 am. Come join us and explore your faith!
