The powers of death are closer than we thought. Their perils appear in the forms of increased gun violence, racism, economic disparity, and global warming, to name but a few. Faced with these threats, Christians in this self-absorbed culture tend to use their faith as a kind of palliative comfort that protects them from the truths of what these powers are doing to us as a human community, and the sufferings they are inflicting on others, particularly the poor and the disenfranchised. Moreover, it is used to shield them from responding to the gospel's call to leave survival for vocation. Using Luther's theology of the cross and the instruction he imparts in his Large Catechism, this book asserts that in the face of the sufferings in which we are situated, the gospel news of Jesus's resurrection is a call to stand in its hope and power to resist these devastations and the dehumanization, exploitation, and domination they inflict. The hope of God's life-giving creativity in the face of the powers of death is given witness when Christians leave survival modes of existence to be in their baptismal vocation of loving neighbors as themselves.

When you understand it properly, the doctrine of vocation—"doing everything for God's glory"—is not a platitude or an outdated notion. This principle that we vaguely apply to our lives and our work is actually the key to Christian ethics, to influencing our culture for Christ, and to infusing our ordinary, everyday lives with the presence of God. For when we realize that the "mundane" activities that consume most of our time are "God's hiding places," our perspective changes. Culture expert Gene Veith unpacks the biblical, Reformation teaching about the doctrine of vocation, emphasizing not what we should specifically do with our time or what careers we are called to, but what God does in and through our callings—even within the home. In each task He has given us—in our workplaces and families, our churches and society—God Himself is at work. Veith guides you to discover God's purpose and calling in those seemingly ordinary areas by providing you with a spiritual framework for thinking about such issues and for acting upon them with a changed perspective.

With a single decision after a lunch with friends in the spring of 2013, everything started, and has now become "My Way into my Vocation".We are all born into this world without knowing which mission does await us during our lifetime. With many of the events and experiences we face whilst of our life, we wonder why all this happened, and look for ways out in case we are not satisfied with the circumstances.This book is being written at a time when I find myself in a state of upheaval. And I am already looking back on an exceedingly long way in the recent months. Many years had passed by in which the need for change had been intimated repeatedly, but it never seemed to be the right time. What have I simply been afraid of?Since I had the opportunity to meet many special people during the last years, a few months ago I decided to take a fundamental new direction in my life. Because in some areas I recognized that some people just wanted to use me as a game ball, but that is exactly what I did not want to put up with anymore. Through a multitude of mentors, my awareness has finally come to realize that my vocation is not to sell products (with a unfortunately a widespread "fomentation of fear" ) regarding possible situations that might arise, but rather to live a life of my previously suppressed creativity. In addition, I have now set myself the goal of letting my fellow human beings benefit from my experiences and insights to show how we can make our lives more positive, if we focus on the really important values in life in the right way.In the following statements, I will describe step by step the most important moments and experiences in my life. For this reason, it is best to go back a short time before the beginning of my being. Although well-sheltered, my life has brought me a lot of surprises, both in a positive and negative sense.My narrative does describe you my life, a true story that will surprise you in many passages, but also extremely blunt, direct, and most likely to make you think for your own life.Some experiences may seem familiar to you, too. However, it is important for me to note that all my descriptions correspond to my personal perception and not to the opinion of third parties.Some situations I may have completely misjudged, and my view of the experience may sound a little surprising.But why were these experiences finally necessary for me? Which values might have been a hindrance to a more carefree and happy life?Will the prediction of an elderly lady - who read out of my palm - when I was a young child come true? Will I really have countless women "on each finger" as she has seen? So to speak, to be a heartbreaker, a "Don Juan"? Which journey was predetermined for me and at what point have I now reached?How do you decide for your future?

We all know that higher education has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Historically a time of exploration and self-discovery, the college years have been narrowed toward an increasingly singular goal—career training—and college students these days forgo the big questions about who they are and how they can change the world and instead focus single-mindedly on their economic survival. In The Purposeful Graduate, Tim Clydesdale elucidates just what a tremendous loss this is, for our youth, our universities, and our future as a society. At the same time, he shows that it doesn’t have to be this way: higher education can retain its higher cultural role, and students with a true sense of purpose—of personal, cultural, and intellectual value that cannot be measured by a wage—can be streaming out of every one of its institutions. The key, he argues, is simple: direct, systematic, and creative programs that engage undergraduates on the question of purpose. Backing up his argument with rich data from a Lilly Endowment grant that funded such programs on eighty-eight different campuses, he shows that thoughtful engagement of the notion of vocational calling by students, faculty, and staff can bring rich rewards for all those involved: greater intellectual development, more robust community involvement, and a more proactive approach to lifelong goals. Nearly every institution he examines—from internationally acclaimed research universities to small liberal arts colleges—is a success story, each designing and implementing its own program, that provides students with deep resources that help them to launch flourishing lives. Flying in the face of the pessimistic forecast of higher education’s emaciated future, Clydesdale offers a profoundly rich alternative, one that can be achieved if we simply muster the courage to talk with students about who they are and what they are meant to do.

At this time and place, who are you meant to be, and what are you called to do? According to Gordon T. Smith, vocation is not a goal on the horizon but a present reality we can discern and explore. Whether you're navigating career transitions or looking for meaning in the ordinary, these theological reflections and spiritual practices invite you to step into God's call in the present moment.

Reflections on different facets of vocation, offered in the hope that they may provide some light as you reflect on your life and find your calling.

When the screams of innocents dying engulf you, how do you hear God's voice? Will God and God's people call you to life when your breath is being strangled out of you? For people of color living each day surrounded by violence, for whom survival is not a given, vocational discernment is more than "finding your purpose" - it's a matter of life and death. Patrick Reyes shares his story of how the community around him - his grandmother, robed clergy, educators, friends, and neighbors - saved him from gang life, abuse, and the economic and racial oppression that threatened to kill him before he ever reached adulthood. A story balancing the tension between pain and healing, Nobody Cries When We Die takes you to the places that make American society flinch, redefines what you are called to do with your life, and gives you strength to save lives and lead in your own community. Part of the FTE (Forum for Theological Exploration) Series