The Call to Discipleship, Dr. Kathy Staudt

One of my mentors, Dr. Kathleen Henderson Staudt, has a wonderful piece posted a few days ago over at the Episcopal Cafe about the Call to Discipleship and discernment and trying to figure out what we're supposed to be and do in our lives. I think the questions she poses about vocation and its relation to "making a living" and "ordained ministry" are very helpful, and the route she takes through some possible approaches is really helpful and leaves me wanting more (she does say she will be posting more on these subjects - which is great!)

If you've ever wondered "what you should do when you grow up," you should check out her post (excerpt below, the rest HERE at the Episcopal Cafe)....

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The Call to Discipleship

By Kathleen Henderson Staudt

I have been trying to create ways to talk about vocation WITHOUT moving immediately to questions about “how am I supposed to make my living,” and especially without moving immediately to the question: “Is God calling me to the ordained ministry?”

It is almost impossible to disentangle these questions these days in our culture, where identity and worth are so tied to our role in the consumer economy, let alone in the Church, where vocation and discernment so strongly tied in people’s minds to questions about ordained ministry. But I insist on disentangling them. I believe it is essential for us as a church to be focusing, not so much on roles and résumés as on the original call of each of us to “follow” Jesus , to practice ever more faithful and intentional discipleship....

Read the rest HERE.

Discipleship and Following Jesus

from the "indexed" blog:
(hat tip to Scott at "Seven Whole Days"...)



It being Holy Week and all, I am reflecting a bit on what it might mean to "take up your cross and follow me," - this is often said, and perhaps easily explained superficially, but for many of us in the United States, and many of us in The Episcopal Church, we are not so ready to take up the challenges of discipleship. We yearn for wealth, for comfort, for privilege but may not often recognize the importance of discipleship.... of getting in touch with poverty, with discomfort, and the underprivileged -- and also getting close to our own inner poverty, discomfort and lack of privilege.

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey