Vocation

In the portion of Romans that we heard this morning, Paul says, among a lot of other good things, "I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think." Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to. Watch out for pride.

Pride is one of the so-called seven deadly sins. In fact, pride is often listed first. Can you name the other six? It was Pope Gregory the Great in the 6^th century who decided that there were seven deadly sins and wrote the first definitive list. So, can you name them?

Pride. Covetousness (sometimes listed as avarice or greed). Lust. Gluttony. Envy. Anger. Sloth.

Sin. All the ways we separate ourselves from God. All of the things that we do or think or that we don’t do or don’t think that lead to our isolation from God. We isolate ourselves from God. We, by our actions, by our thoughts, by our choices, separate ourselves from God. Pride separates us, isolates us from God. "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think."

But, within the context of this passage in Romans, Paul could also have added, "Do not think of yourself more lowly than you ought to think." In these verses, Paul is talking about community and vocation. "We who are many are one body. We are members one of another." Community. There really is no such thing as an individual Christian. We, many together, are Christians. And within that community no one individual should think of herself more highly than she ought. And, conversely, no individual should think of himself more lowly than he ought. No Christian stands alone, or apart. No Christian stands above or below any other Christian.

Especially in terms of vocation. I wonder who it was, in Paul’s experience with the Romans… which individual or group thought of themselves as standing higher than others. Was it those who thought of themselves as prophets? Or was there some individual who proclaimed himself the official exhorter in the Roman community and claimed higher standing or importance than the people who taught or had a ministry of compassion? Paul lists a variety of vocations: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, showing compassion. And he reminds the Christians in Rome that everyone is to offer his or her vocation in service to God and that no one ought to assume any singular importance in the community. Some people might say that Paul needed to listen to his own teaching a bit more clearly on that subject; he tended to have little doubt of his own importance. But that does not diminish the truth of his words. "By the grace given me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think."

Most parishes have one or two individuals who need to hear those words. Often the ordained are among them. But I think the much greater peril in parish communities these days is the converse, the statement that Paul did not make, but could have. "By the grace given me I say to everyone among you, do not think of yourself more lowly than you ought to." Especially in terms of vocation, do not think of yourself more lowly than you ought. Do not presume that you do not have a Christian vocation. Do not think that you are a lesser or somehow smaller member of this Body than others are. Do not discount what is expected of you. I’m not sure what to call this particular deadly sin of thinking too lowly of ourselves. False humility? Reverse pride? Low spiritual self-esteem? Vocational passivity? Those don’t have the same ring as lust or sloth, but this sin is just as deadly.

We who are many are one body in Christ. Members one of another. Each with gifts given by God’s grace. To ignore those gifts is to turn away from God and to separate yourself from the life of the Body. To deny your vocation is to choose isolation. That’s sin. Deadly sin. A Christian without a vocation is like an appendix within the Body of Christ. And that’s the most charitable analogy I can think of.

Do not think of yourself more lowly than you ought. Just as there is no such thing as an individual Christian, there is no such thing as a Christian without a vocation. Everyone has a vocation. What is yours? What is your Christian work? What is your role as a member of the community which is the Body of Christ?

For a long time, the church misused the word vocation to refer only to individuals in Holy Orders (the ordained) or to women and men in religious orders. "Having a vocation" was shorthand for having a vocation to the priesthood or having a vocation to the religious life as a monk or nun. Some people had a vocation; some did not. No. Do not think of yourself more lowly than you ought. Everyone has a Christian vocation.

It may be what you do for a living. Or it may be something you do while living. I often quote Frederick Buechner. He is very quotable. Here is part of what he says about "vocation."

"It comes from the Latin vocare, to call, and means the work a [person] is called to by God.

"There are all different kinds of voices calling you to all different kinds of work, and the problem is to find out which is the voice of God rather than Society, say, or the Superego, or Self-Interest.

"By and large, a good rule for finding out is this. The kind of work God usually calls you to is the kind of work (a) that you need most to do and (b) that the world most needs to have done…

"Neither the hair shirt nor the soft berth will do. The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet."

Buechner gives us a wonderful phrase, and I hope it will help you if you are still searching, still discerning your vocation. Look in that place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet. But remember always that what you are looking for is God’s call, your role in the Body of Christ, your piece of God’s work. A vocation is more than feeling personally fulfilled; it is more than charitably helping others. Don’t ever shy away from personal fulfillment or charitable opportunities, but a vocation is work done in God’s name and to God’s glory. As the Body of Christ, our common vocation is to make Christ’s presence known in the world, to bring heaven—not just happiness, but God’s heaven—to earth. Your vocation is where your deep and grateful self-offering of what God has given you meets the world’s deep, deep need for God’s saving presence.

A vocation can be lived out in your personal life as you go from family to workplace and home again, or as you live the routine of life as a citizen of nation or village. A vocation can be focused within the Christian community, on nurturing and sustaining the church as a place where others can be drawn to find the Body of Christ. Or a vocation can be focused outward, spreading the hope and healing from the community of Christ out beyond this place into the world.

Paul has some suggestions for vocations. It is not an exhaustive list, but it’s a good place to start. Prophesy. Take the word of God to the world. That’s what prophets do. Give voice to God’s holy call for justice, peace, and reverence. With your voice, speak God’s Word out there. Prophesy. Minister. And Paul doesn’t mean ministry at the altar, he means administering aid to the poor, the hungry, the sick, the lonely. Be a minister, an administrator of Jesus’ love to those in need. Teach. Teach others about the wonder and mystery and hope of God. Exhort. Invest something of yourself into encouraging others in their life in Christ. Give. Give generously for the work and glory of God. Lead. Take personal, diligent responsibility for something within the life of the church. Be compassionate. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Paul says that elsewhere in Romans). Live like you believed it.

It is a deadly sin to ignore your vocation, to turn away from God’s call to you. It is a deadly sin to dismiss your call to ministry as insignificant or lower than anyone else’s. Do not think of yourself more lowly than you ought.

This collect "For all Christians in their vocation" is from the prayer book: Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified; Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

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