When some folks talk about religious vocation, they are speaking of going into church work as a pastor. In the Roman Catholic Church, the traditional understanding is that there are three \u201cvocations\u201d\u2014 marriage, single life (virginity) or consecration to a religious life (celibacy). So I understand when people (and particularly students) get worried when I mention vocation. A more contemporary understanding of vocation is defining one\u2019s professional path, whether that is religious or not. Although you might guess that the Chaplain understands anyone\u2019s choice of professional path as a spiritual discipline. I believe that our life of faith is intertwined with our life\u2019s work and that faith and our spiritual path defines all that we do.<\/p>\n
One of my goals at Lynchburg College is to help students, and occasionally staff and faculty, discern about their vocation. Particularly for young adults under economic pressure to earn a \u201cgood living,\u201d it is increasingly difficult to hear the spirit as you choose lifework.\u00a0 The Jennie Cutler Shumate Lecture was endowed for precisely this reason; providing the opportunity to talk about faith and work is something that needed to happen on our campus.<\/p>\n
Next Monday evening the community is invited to gather at 7:30 in Snidow Chapel for the Jennie Cutler Shumate Lecture on Christian Ministry. Michael Morwood, author and theologian-in-residence at Kirkridge Retreat Center in Bangor, Pennsylvania, will be the speaker. Michael was a member of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart for 38 years, 29 years as a Catholic priest. He has an MA in Pastoral Ministry from Boston College, and he married Maria Kelly in March 2000. His particular interest is in helping adult Christians examine what they believe, and why they believe it. The title of his lecture is \u201cWindows to the Divine: Prayer in a 21st Century Worldview.\u201d An additional lecture named for the late Lynchburg College professor John Turner will be held at First Christian Church on Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 4 p.m.<\/p>\n
Mr. Morwood\u2019s books include: Tomorrow\u2019s Catholic: Understanding God and Jesus in a New Millennium; Is Jesus God? Finding Our Faith; Praying a New Story; From Sand to Solid Ground: Questions of Faith for Modern Christians; Children Praying a New Story: A Resource for Parents, Grandparents and Teachers; Faith, Hope and a Bird Called George: A Spiritual Fable; and It\u2019s Time: Challenges to the Doctrine of the Faith.<\/p>\n
A native of Australia, Morwood has more than 40 years of experience in retreat, education, parish and adult faith development ministries. In the past 10 years Morwood has worked with progressive Christian groups in 30 states, in most provinces in Canada, and in Ireland and England.<\/p>\n
Blessings, Stephanie<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When some folks talk about religious vocation, they are speaking of going into church work as a pastor. In the Roman Catholic Church, the traditional understanding is that there are three \u201cvocations\u201d\u2014 marriage, single life (virginity) or consecration to a …<\/p>\n