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A Special Topical Issue:
Vocation
• #whoami • Free in Christ Slave in Christ • Called to Receive: The First Table • Called to Serve: The Second Table
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H I G H E R
What does it mean to be a Christian in a technologycentered world?
Contents T A B L E O F
Volume 18/Number 1 • Spring 2018
HigherThings
®
Volume 18/Number 1/Spring 2018 Bible Studies for these articles can be found at: higherthings.org/ magazine/biblestudies.html Executive Editor
Katie Hill
Vocation, vocation, vocation!
Art Director
Steve Blakey
We can’t emphasize it enough! Our callings and relationships are gifts from God, which you’ll discover in our topical spring issue of Higher Things Magazine. Vocation is precisely what Paul is talking about in Ephesians 2:10: “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” As always, we start by foundationally understanding who we are as baptized children of God. From there we grapple with the Law and Gospel and where they come into play as we fulfill the various roles we walk in. And finally, we tackle a question that you have probably asked yourself at one time or another: “What do I do with my life?” From cover to cover, you’ll notice a recurring theme: Through faith in Christ we have freedom to live out our vocations for the good of our neighbor!
Editorial Associates
Rev. Greg Alms Rev. Paul Beisel Rev. Gaven Mize Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard Copy Editors
Kay Maiwald Dana Niemi Bible Study Authors
Rev. Jacob Ehrhard Rev. Sam Schuldheisz Joshua Ulm Subscriptions Manager
Elizabeth Carlson ___________ Board of Directors President
Rev. George F. Borghardt Vice-President
Special Features 4 #whoami
By Rev. George F. Borghardt Rev. Borghardt emphasizes that, as a baptized child of God, you are free to live in Jesus and rest in the knowledge that He promises to work good in your life—no matter how many times you might try and fail—that you might show His love to others.
6 Free in Christ-Slave in Christ
By Rev. Donavon Riley Because of all that Christ has done for us, we are completely free from the condemnation of the law, yet we are completely bound to our neighbor in love. Rev. Riley explains how this works itself out in our vocations.
8 Called to Receive: The First Table
By Rev. Eric Brown As much as we try to turn the Ten Commandments into hoops we have jump through to please God, Rev. Brown makes the case that they are anything but hoops. The first three commandments specifically give us a look into the giving heart of God, who doesn’t leave us to fend for ourselves as we endeavor to fulfill our vocations.
10 Called to Serve: The Second Table
By Rev. Aaron T. Fenker Rev. Fenker delves into Ephesians 2:10—no holds barred. What does it mean that we are “God’s workmanship?” What are those “good works which God prepared beforehand?” Find out!
12 Jesus for You, Jesus Through You
By Rev. Harrison Goodman Rev. Goodman assures us that our callings aren’t about us, they are about Jesus for us, and therefore He equips us in every way, despite our weaknesses.
18 Vocational Variety: God’s Wisdom for Women
By Deaconess Ellie Corrow We hear so many mixed messages from our culture about what women can or should do. We don’t need to look any further than the pages of Scripture to discover the particular ways God gifts and equips women to fulfill their varied vocations.
20 Called to Deliver: The Pastoral Ministry
By Rev. Rich Heinz The pastoral call is no more holy than any other call but it does come with its own set of unique blessings. Rev. Heinz shares his own experience in the hopes of encouraging young men who are contemplating this vocation for their lives.
22 So What Do I Do with My Life?
By Rev. Mark Buetow Have you figured out what you’re doing after high school? Whether or not you think you have zeroed in on what your future career plans are, one thing is certain: As you are living your life in Jesus, He will make you a blessing to others.
Regular Features 28 Catechism: Three Orders: Table of Duties
By Rev. William M. Cwirla Rev. Cwirla walks us through the Table of Duties found in our handy dandy Small Catechism, explaining how vocation is worked out in three overlapping spheres designed to work together, to the glory of God and for the betterment of our neighbor!
30 Bible Study: So What Do I Do with my Life?
Be sure to check out this sample of one of our student Bible studies which links up with Rev. Mark Buetow’s article on P. 22.
Rev. Duane Bamsch Treasurer
Mr. Eric Maiwald Secretary
Rev. Joel Fritsche Deaconess Ellie Corrow Rev. D. Carl Fickenscher Mr. Bob Myers Mrs. Sue Pellegrini Rev. Chris Rosebrough ___________
Executive Council Deputy Executive/ Conference and Retreats
Sandra Ostapowich Media Executive
Rev. Aaron Fenker Business Executive
Connie Brammeier Development Executive
Erica Jacoby
Higher Things® Magazine ISSN 1539-8455 is published quarterly by Higher Things, Inc., PO Box 156, Sheridan, WY 82801. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the executive editor of Higher Things Magazine. Copyright 2018. Higher Things® is registered trademarks of Higher Things Inc.; All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States. Postage paid at St. Louis, Missouri. For subscription information and questions, call 1-888-4826630, then press 4, or e-mail subscriptions@higherthings.org. (This phone number is only used for subscription queries.) For letters to the editor, write letters@higher things.org. Writers may submit manuscripts to: submissions@ higherthings.org. Please check higherthings.org/magazine/ writers.html for writers’ guidelines and theme lists.
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Jesus for You, By Rev. Harrison Goodman
Vocation is how God ties us to each other. He has given us specific people and has commanded us to love them in specific ways. Parent, child. Husband, wife. Pastor, hearer. Teacher, student. Ruler, citizen. These are God-given and unique roles we fill. We don’t do it for ourselves, but to care for our neighbor. It’s all Law. Do this and not that to these people. You can find the specifics in the Table of Duties—that section we tend to neglect in the Small Catechism. I don’t know about you, but I can’t read it without the phrase “Not enough!” kicking me in the gut. Nowhere in the Table of Duties is there the encouragement to “try your best.” To be honest, I haven’t really done that, either.
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I know what it takes to fulfill the vocations I’ve been given, and I know that I’m not enough. That word eats at us: “enough.” It steals our sleep. It bites at us no matter how hard we try to run and hide from it. I’m not a good enough husband, dad, or pastor. Are you a good enough student, athlete, friend, son, or daughter? Or does that word “enough” keep you up at night, too? This is how the world measures our stations in life. It’s why there’s such pressure on you to succeed, and such shame when you don’t. The church word we use to address that failure, the shame, and the terrible things we’ll do to climb over each other to never feel it again, is sin. Jesus bled and died for you to forgive your sins. While that’s great news, the forgiveness of sins won’t pass your math test. You’re still not enough. Looking in the mirror is still a disappointment. Deep down we feel like the Gospel shouldn’t be Christ fulfilling the Law for us, but rather Christ teaching us how to fulfill
Jes
it ourselves. We want Jesus to teach us how to be enough. The problem is that we’re trying to make the Gospel about us rather than for us. The Gospel isn’t about you. It’s about Jesus for you, as Paul reminds us: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8–10). You’re justified before God on account of Christ’s works—not your works. There is no boasting in the word “enough” here. Your Baptism, not what you do, makes you a good enough Christian. Your worth isn’t about what you earn, but what about what God paid for you. This is not measured in your success or failure. It’s not measured in you at all. It’s measured in Christ’s blood, shed for you. It’s enough, even though you aren’t. God loves sinners. God loves you. Jesus didn’t need you to be enough for Him to save you. He doesn’t need
sus
Through You
you to be enough for Him to work through you either. He sends the Holy Spirit to accomplish this. There’s a connection between what God has made you to be and what He’ll accomplish through you. Your election, God’s work to save you, and your vocation, God’s work to care for your neighbor through you, are from the same source. God loves sinners. Paul writes that before the foundation of the world God prepared the good works we will do, that we should walk in them. He can even accomplish good through sinners. He’s promised to do so. It rarely looks all that impressive, but
that’s okay. Jesus was pretty unassuming, too. He still saved you by His death upon the cross and resurrection from the dead. Unassuming isn’t so bad. Jesus preaches through sinful pastors, loves through sinful parents, and learns through sinful students. God has made you holy, and God does holy things through you. This promise lets us stand closer to the Law, because the Law can’t hurt us anymore. To us, it’s a guide and even a promise. Christ has called these things good. He has promised to do good through us, and these things will be for our ultimate good and the good of others because of it. Where we get in the way, fail, sin, and break things, He forgives and heals. To the Christian, vocation isn’t a burden, but a gift. It’s not that He can’t help your neighbor through you until you’re not a sinner anymore. This is where God promises to work for the people I love. This is how He’ll get it done, both through me and in spite of my weakness. I may not be enough, but He is. Always. It’s not about whether I’m a good enough father, but whether God says being a father is good. God wants to see my children cared for. He wants it so much He’ll even work through a sinner like me to do it. If God calls my vocations good, then He is at work through them to serve my neighbor. He prepared these good works before the foundation of the world. He’ll make sure I walk in them. God wants to see His creation sustained. He accomplishes this through the vocations He gives us. He puts on a mask that looks like you and cares for the people you both love. That’s why it’s important to remember that your election isn’t about you. It’s about Jesus for you. Your vocation isn’t about you either, It’s about Jesus through you. God has made you holy in your election. He has given you people to love and to serve. God’s always the one at work, and He’s never been afraid to work through sinners for sinners. Stop with the word “enough.” Better yet, drown it every day in your Baptism, that the new man may emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. Rev. Harrison Goodman serves as pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Carroll, Nebraska.
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So What Do I Do with My Life? By Rev. Mark Buetow
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hen I was in high school, I wanted to be a professional pilot. Maybe I would be an airline pilot flying a 747 or perhaps a corporate pilot in command of a Gulfstream jet. I remember taking a career counseling test that was supposed to help me figure out what my skills and interests would suggest for a career. It wasn’t hard to answer the questions so that “pilot” was on the list! (As was “farmer” and “person who makes artificial limbs!”)
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In college, after becoming very active in our campus Lutheran church, I decided during my sophomore year that I would no longer be a pilot but would go to seminary after college to be a pastor. So I changed my major to history and headed off to seminary. Also during college, I met my wife, and we were married just before my senior year. It turns out I left college with a whole bunch of vocations or upcoming callings that I hadn’t even considered when I started! As a young man looking forward, it seems that my choices were all about what I wanted to do and be and accomplish. I remember a poster my friend had of seven really fancy cars in front of a mansion with the title “Justification for Higher Education.” I wanted to go to college to get a job and make a lot of money. Even when I went to seminary, it was all about my wanting to study theology (which interested me) and to be a person who could help others (whatever that meant). Still, the choices I made were about me and what I wanted to do. But looking back, I can see now that the Lord was working things out to put me where He wanted me to be, doing what He wanted me to do, to serve those He wanted me to serve. Even as I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, the Lord put people around me in their callings and vocations who helped guide and direct me. That’s why, as Christians, we talk about more than just “careers” or “jobs” or “relationships.” They are called “vocations” for a reason. It’s because the things we are given to do in this life for others are given to us by our Father in heaven. He calls us to these vocations so that we may glorify Him and serve others in many and various ways.
As a Christian young person, the answer to the question, “So what do I do with my life? is best answered by,“What do you want to do? What interests you? What do you enjoy doing? What sort of challenges do like tackling? What sort of work do you hope to avoid?” These questions are helpful for figuring out what sort of paths in education or technical training you might like to pursue. But it’s important to have the bigger perspective, too. You are baptized into Christ. You have been called by God to be part of His Church and a believer in Jesus. Your life is no longer about living just for you. It’s about glorifying God by loving and serving others! You see, no matter what job or career or vocation you end up with, even if you don’t think about it, the Lord will be using you to care for others. The education and skills and experiences you have aren’t just yours. They’re given to you as a gift as you live your life doing good things for others in your particular calling. Whether you end up as the head of your own international corporation or working a seemingly dull 9 to 5 job in a factory, we don’t judge our callings as the Lord does. In every place you end up, in whatever it is you’re doing, you have the opportunity
to do good to others and to demonstrate the love and grace of Jesus by doing your job well and helping others as you do. I don’t know what the Lord has in store for your life. You might think you have an idea, but there are permutations and possibilities you haven’t even dreamed of! Whatever you do and wherever you go and however you are called to serve, know that you have been called since the baptismal font to be God’s own dear child. Everything you do in your life He will use as a blessing to others. Every failing He forgives and every good deed He works through you is for the good of others. You may find yourself at the end of a series of choices you’ve made in a job you really enjoy. You may find yourself in a situation you didn’t choose, due to circumstances, doing something that you hadn’t planned and don’t always enjoy. But either way, that calling—that vocation—is the Lord’s gift to you and it is His gift to those around you through you. In my calling as a pastor, I have the job of reminding those whom I serve (and those to whom I write articles), that Jesus has died for you and risen again. That’s HIS vocation: that of Savior. And because He’s done that, He’s set you free to pursue the things you enjoy and love, while still guiding and working behind the scenes so that you will be a blessing and gift to others. So what do you with your life now? You keep living it in Jesus! And He will bless others through you.
Rev. Mark Buetow is pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church in DuQuoin, Illinois. He can be reached at buetowmt@gmail.com.
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