What is calling? What makes a job, more than a paycheck? Where do calling and job intersect? What brings meaning to work?

These are questions that I love to explore!  People are called to a variety of things—to professional ministry, to teaching, to medicine, to business, etc…

Ultimately, calling is about something that goes beyond the individual. 

In exploring vocational formation, I like to look at four areas of life:  Gifts or talents, Passion, World needs and God’s Invitation.  Some people live their vocation through their work; others engage their vocation through volunteerism or work in addition to their profession.  Some people live in the midst of the intersection of these four areas, while others wander in and out of that intersection.  The exploration of these four areas and the experience of the intersection of these four areas help to bring about that which is meaningful. 

Thesaurus lists the following words or phrases for meaningful:  significant, important, consequential, carrying great weight, having an important effect, momentous, evocative.  Each of these words is synonymous with who we are and what we do when we engage and respond to God’s invitation to use our gifts and passions to meet the needs in our world.

Beth Kennett, August 2010