{"id":18396,"date":"2017-08-14T11:30:58","date_gmt":"2017-08-14T16:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/?page_id=18396"},"modified":"2024-07-29T11:41:44","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T16:41:44","slug":"what-is-vocation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/what-is-vocation\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Vocation?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At St. Olaf, vocation<\/i>\u00a0is who you are called to\u00a0be\u00a0and what you are called to\u00a0do\u00a0across all the parts of your life \u2013 not only in professional work, but also in\u00a0your\u00a0family and friendships, community engagements, relationship with the earth, search for meaning, and pursuit of justice.\u00a0 It\u2019s living your life\u00a0on purpose<\/i>, directed toward both your personal flourishing and the\u00a0common good<\/i>.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Learn more –><\/a>
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Vocation is\u2026<\/h2>\n

More than a career choice.\u00a0<\/strong>Vocation, in its broadest sense, encompasses every role that a person has in his or her life.\u00a0 Your vocation is created by the roles you play and the actions you take, which can range from a job to family life, or from being active in a community to taking time for yourself.<\/p>\n

Something that arises from within. \u00a0<\/strong>Look at the decisions you\u2019ve made and the paths you\u2019ve gravitated toward.\u00a0 Why have you done so, and what kinds of truths and values arise from these choices?\u00a0 Author Parker J. Palmer says \u201cthe deepest vocational question is not \u2018What ought I to do with my life?\u2019 It is the more elemental and demanding \u2018Who am I? What is my nature?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Often discussed in terms of religion or spirituality. \u00a0<\/strong>Many people \u2013 Lutherans included \u2013 see vocation as God\u2019s call to engage in service and community, though this definition can vary widely even within one faith tradition.\u00a0 Others see vocation as a spiritual grounding. \u00a0Whether spiritual or completely secular, vocation often involves the nurturing of the contemplative self.<\/p>\n

Discernment that involves attentiveness and listening. \u00a0<\/strong>People writing about vocation almost always speak of a \u201ccall,\u201d but this call can be wide in scope.\u00a0 A call could be a set of circumstances that arise, a gut feeling, or recognition of your limits and abilities. \u00a0A sense of open-mindedness to what constitutes a call is necessary to discern it.<\/p>\n

All created equal and rooted in community. \u00a0<\/strong>Every role, every job, every person, is created equal in terms of his or her vocation, and each role has equal spiritual and\/or vocational value. \u00a0It takes a variety of people, rooted in their callings and open to sharing them with others, to create a vibrant community.<\/p>\n

Where \u201cyour deep gladness meets the world\u2019s deep need.\u201d \u00a0<\/strong>This famous definition, coined by Frederick Buechner, can shape the way we think about vocation.\u00a0 As author and minister Howard Thurman said, \u201cask what makes you come alive and go do that\u2026what the world needs is people who have come alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Self-Assessment resources\u00a0<\/a>can guide you in your vocational discovery process.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t

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At St. Olaf, we embrace an understanding of vocation that is \u2026<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t<\/header>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
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We affirm that career and vocation are linked in important ways. At the same time, vocation is <\/span>more<\/span><\/i> than a major or career choice. St. Olaf invites you to consider vocational reflection as also including your relationships and roles beyond paid work. Our vocations are multiple, involving all aspects of our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\n

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St. Olaf strives for an expansive understanding of vocation that links it to the process of meaning making. The concept has a long tradition within Christianity and within Lutheranism in particular. As a college rooted in Lutheran tradition, St. Olaf appreciates Martin Luther\u2019s view of vocation as a calling from God that includes our relationships and responsibilities in all dimensions of life. At the same time, we invite reflection by all on core values, on the communities of which you are a part, and worldviews that shape your living and how you will use your skills and talents as a reflection of who you are called to be. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\n

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Vocational discernment includes reflection on questions of identity and purpose as well as on relationships and responsibilities to family, friends, the communities of which we are a part, and beyond. St. Olaf\u2019s Lutheran identity lifts up love of neighbor as a core vocational value and encourages us to ask, \u201cTo what and to whom are we responsible?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\n

\n \t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tNot always chosen \t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n <\/button>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t
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Theologian and writer Frederick Buechner has said that vocation is where our \u201cdeep gladness meets the world\u2019s deep need,\u201d a view that invites reflection about choosing paths where gladness meets the needs of others. Sometimes, though, the deep sadness we do not choose can direct and shape how we meet the world\u2019s deep need. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\n

\n \t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tAn ongoing journey\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n <\/button>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t
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Vocational discernment is a life-long process. We are constantly assessing who we are today and who we might be tomorrow. In high school, you engaged in vocational reflection regarding college. In college, vocational reflection involves choosing a major, possibly studying abroad, figuring out what it means to be a good friend, learning more about what service and activism is important to you, discovering what extracurricular activities bring you joy, learning about how internships and employment help you better understand your skills and abilities, and practicing clarifying and living out your core commitments in and beyond college. Vocation is an ongoing journey in the entirety of our life and identity (e.g. family, community engagement, where we live, and more).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At St. Olaf, vocation\u00a0is who you are called to\u00a0be\u00a0and what you are called to\u00a0do\u00a0across all the parts of your life \u2013 not only in professional work, but also in\u00a0your\u00a0family and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2555,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-18396","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2555"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18396"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18396\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41169,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18396\/revisions\/41169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}