Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Dude Abides

Home
Progressive Christian
GODSTUFF: So, what’s your calling?

GODSTUFF: So, what’s your calling?

Last updated on: December 15, 2010 at 5:48 pm by Cathleen Falsani

GODSTUFF: So, what’s your calling? 2010-12-15T17:48:25-07:00 Cathleen Falsani

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Despite having largely lost his Calvinist religion by the time

he reached adulthood, the 19th-century Scottish satirist Thomas Carlyle

famously noted that the idea of “calling” was all pervasive in broader

society.

“The latest gospel in this world is, `Know thy work and do it,”‘

Caryle said.

When we consider the idea of “calling,” most of us think of ordained

ministry. Pastors, priests, rabbis, imams and clerics of all traditions

are supposed to have heard and heeded a divine “call” that leads them

into a life of religious service.

Still, religious leaders from Martin Luther to the founder of Opus

Dei, St. Jose Maria Escriva, have insisted that we all have a sacred

calling, whether it leads us to don a clerical collar, a hard hat or tap

shoes in the service of the Divine.

This idea of a universal calling is perhaps best articulated by a

line from the film “Evan Almighty,” when a freshman congressman (Steve

Carell) named Evan is asked why God (Morgan Freeman) “chose” him to

forsake his duties and build an ark in his backyard.

“(God) chose all of us,” Evan answers.

It is precisely this take on calling that filmmakers explore in the

stellar new documentary film “The Calling,” which airs nationally on PBS

stations Dec. 20-21. (9 to 11 PM ET / PT and 8 to 10 PM CT. Check local listings.)

“The Calling” follows seven emerging religious leaders as they

embark on their journeys as pastors, preachers, priests, chaplains,

imams and rabbis.

“The Calling” does not limit its exploration of “calling” to

explicitly religious endeavors. In 220 minutes, the filmmakers paint

beautifully articulate and intimately nuanced portraits of what a modern

life of faith looks like, inside and out of the pulpit.

Last week, I had the honor of getting to know the five men and two

women profiled in “The Calling” when they all gathered for the first

time in person for an event in Chicago.

They are: Bilal, an African-American convert from Pentecostalism who

serves as a Muslim prison chaplain in Connecticut; Shmuly, a charismatic

young man raised in a secular Jewish/Christian home who embraced

Orthodox Judaism in his early 20s and subsequently entered an Orthodox

yeshiva; Steven, a Mexican-American born and bred in San Antonio who is

now a Roman Catholic priest; Yerachmiel, a cradle Orthodox Jew and

recently ordained rabbi serving his first congregation; Jeneen, an

African-American single mother and freshly ordained minister in the

African Methodist Episcopal Church searching for her first “call” to the

pastorate; Tahera, a young Muslim woman studying at Hartford Seminary to

become a university chaplain as she plans her wedding; and Rob, a new

father who struggles to balance his work as a Protestant minister in Los

Angeles with his passion for rap music and his obligations as chieftain

in his native Samoa.

After spending a day with the subjects of the film, I was most

struck by how much they had in common, despite their vast cultural and

theological differences: Each has an abiding love for God and a desire

to help others encounter the Divine in a meaningful way.

While their paths to religious vocation are as varied as their

personalities and personal histories, their spiritual orientation is the

same. They crane their necks and cup their ears to discern their call —

whatever turns it may take.

Each of the seven faces obstacles — cultural, institutional, familial and of their own hearts and minds — in heeding their calls. Time and again they confront questions and doubts, both external and internal.

Their journeys take surprising turns (as, sometimes, the call changes and evolves over time.) To a person their soul explorations are fascinating — never taking turns into the trite or what we’ve come to expect in typical one-dimensional depictions of “religious” folks.

The filmmakers have a wonderfully fresh and tender eye for stories (and people) of faith. The subjects of “The Calling” are portrayed as honest, vulnerable, funny, compelling, sometimes maddening and unfailingly authentic.

Whether you are a person of faith, a skeptic or a seeker — of religion, the Divine or your purpose in life — “The Calling” will have something profound and perhaps transformational to say.

As a compendium to the documentary, the filmmakers have launched a Web site, What’s Your Calling (www.whatsyourcalling.org) to continue the conversation. They cast a wide net to include people with callings as disparate as musicians and writers, entrepreneurs and activists, Thai boxers and tattoo artists.

No matter what it sounds like, we all have a calling. Those with ears to hear will find it, so listen carefully.

So, what’s your calling?

[wpvideo KjmZ1j3G]

GODSTUFF

Previous Post

December 9, 2010

GODSTUFF: Knit one. Pray two.

Next Post

December 26, 2010 GODSTUFF: 2010 Year in Quotes on Faith

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A little happy ARCHIVED COLUMNS BECOMING FAMILY BelieberNess BREAKING NEWS! Disquiet Time DJ JEFF'S SPINTASMS falsani FILM from OCRegister From Sojo.net God Nods GODSTUFF I Take Requests incubatespirit LURKING IN THE NARTHEX On My Nightstand ONEMOMS Polling the Room PONTIFEXCELLENT Thru My Eyes TWO CENTS Uncategorized Upcoming Events VASCO VASCO'S HEART

Select a Month January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 May 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 October 2003 March 2003 December 2002 October 2002 January 2001

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who did God ask to sacrifice his only son as a test?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Moses Jacob Abraham David