VOL. 8, NO. 3 | By the Sweat of Our Brow

This issue is dedicated to the topic of vocation in the Christian life. Part of what we want to accomplish is to take a fresh look at this business of calling or vocation. Is it wrong to base our identity, at least in part, on what we do for a living, and what about the thinking which elevates so-called “full-time Christian work” over secular employment? Here we must remember that our Creator and Redeemer is the author of all callings, and he is honored by both secular and sacred vocations. Yet, as important as this discussion of employment is, it is not the only purpose of this issue. We should pause before we accept the common cultural definition of “vocation” as simply one’s occupation in a monetary economy. The word comes from the Latin “vocare,” meaning “to call” or “to summons.” In other words, a vocation is a call from God—not merely a call to a job, but a call to any task or office.

Featured Articles:

• The Doctrine of Vocation | by Gene Edward Veith
• How to Discover Your Calling | by Michael S. Horton
• God’s Vocation, Our Vocation | by Mark R. Talbot
• Death, the Final Calling | by R. C. Sproul