Dr. Lazareth, I have been on an extended trip to Eastern Europe. Upon my return I read the latest issue of the Carthaginian and the leading article upon the foundation of the Augustine Institute. This is indeed a superior creation, and should bring much respect to Carthage, and to its foundation as a Christian Lutheran institution. I deeply regret that our outstanding Carthage theologian, our dear friend Jerry Brauer, is not with us to see this creation to further enshrine his status and his name in the Brauer Chair, of which you are the first, and a most honored incumbent.
While I did visit the site of the ruins of the city of Carthage, alas, I did not get to Hippo, where our Saint Augustine served as bishop so many years. So best wishes to you, and I look forward to many fine things that will emerge from the Institute.
Thanks so much, Bill, for your words of support and encouragement at the outset of this new endeavor. Surely Jerry Brauer deserves our very best! It was also great to read the lengthier account of your recent trip to Eastern Europe and Northern Africa, where you retraced the steps of some of your World War II exploits. It must have brought back many poignant memories. Sorry that you didnt get to Hippo, but we can compensate for that in future issues of this journal that are devoted to the thought of its most famous citizen, St. Augustine, as he sought to ground the City of God there.
I have struggled with God’s calling since I was a child. In my heart of hearts, I have harbored that notion of spiritual and temporal estates and I always placed more importance and prestige upon the spiritual one. This awe, I have come to believe, may have prevented me from following my calling. In high school, I had been accepted into a Luther College, and intended to go onto seminary. As the day to leave approached, a sense of self worthlessness or uncleanness or something intruded upon my vision of the future and the sure Word somehow was made murky. I changed my plans and enrolled in a state school and soon lost hope of ever being a minister. Over the past 40 years, I have had several run ins with this calling. I even attended seminary for a semester. Each and every time those old predispositions about me being mired in the temporal would come out.
Maybe because I am getting close to the end of the road, I am evaluating where I have been and where I might yet go. Lately, I have felt that God had called me to the work and the place that I am at now. I have been able to minister to co-workers in their time of need. I make a good enough living to more than support my family and provide for my small church. I can afford the time and the money to mentor men coming out of prison. But often I wonder if this is what God called me to do or is it what God settled for?
_________________
Larry Kemp
Hurst, TX
I have a similar story as yours, the only difference is I went to a Lutheran College, majored in Religion and went on to seminary and graduated with an MDiv degree. For various reasons (mostly financial and timing), however, I never became an ordained minister. I am a technical writer (a job I didn’t even know existed when I went to seminary).
I strongly believe that the calling of an ordained minister is no higher than that of a technical writer (or any other job). God needs people in all types of positions in order to bring about his kingdom on earth.
If you were to rank vocations, the only vocations that truly outrank others is that of parents. Otherwise God will use your gifts wherever you are. And don’t for a second believe that a pastor is a higher calling and that other jobs are “settling.” Changing lives and ministering to people is important, and getting paid by a church to do that makes it no less noble to God.
The most helpful resource on this topic that I have found is a now out of print book, Luther on Vocation. The only place I know where you can obtain this cheap book is from the Luther Seminary Bookstore. If interested, you can contact them and they’ll ship it to you cheap (bookstore@luthersem.edu).
September 15th, 2005 at 10:12 pm
Dr. Lazareth, I have been on an extended trip to Eastern Europe. Upon my return I read the latest issue of the Carthaginian and the leading article upon the foundation of the Augustine Institute. This is indeed a superior creation, and should bring much respect to Carthage, and to its foundation as a Christian Lutheran institution. I deeply regret that our outstanding Carthage theologian, our dear friend Jerry Brauer, is not with us to see this creation to further enshrine his status and his name in the Brauer Chair, of which you are the first, and a most honored incumbent.
While I did visit the site of the ruins of the city of Carthage, alas, I did not get to Hippo, where our Saint Augustine served as bishop so many years. So best wishes to you, and I look forward to many fine things that will emerge from the Institute.
Most sincerely,
Bill Niemann Class of 1941, Carthage College
September 16th, 2005 at 10:29 pm
Thanks so much, Bill, for your words of support and encouragement at the outset of this new endeavor. Surely Jerry Brauer deserves our very best! It was also great to read the lengthier account of your recent trip to Eastern Europe and Northern Africa, where you retraced the steps of some of your World War II exploits. It must have brought back many poignant memories. Sorry that you didnt get to Hippo, but we can compensate for that in future issues of this journal that are devoted to the thought of its most famous citizen, St. Augustine, as he sought to ground the City of God there.
Cordially,
William Lazareth
Co-Director
October 7th, 2005 at 12:13 am
I have struggled with God’s calling since I was a child. In my heart of hearts, I have harbored that notion of spiritual and temporal estates and I always placed more importance and prestige upon the spiritual one. This awe, I have come to believe, may have prevented me from following my calling. In high school, I had been accepted into a Luther College, and intended to go onto seminary. As the day to leave approached, a sense of self worthlessness or uncleanness or something intruded upon my vision of the future and the sure Word somehow was made murky. I changed my plans and enrolled in a state school and soon lost hope of ever being a minister. Over the past 40 years, I have had several run ins with this calling. I even attended seminary for a semester. Each and every time those old predispositions about me being mired in the temporal would come out.
Maybe because I am getting close to the end of the road, I am evaluating where I have been and where I might yet go. Lately, I have felt that God had called me to the work and the place that I am at now. I have been able to minister to co-workers in their time of need. I make a good enough living to more than support my family and provide for my small church. I can afford the time and the money to mentor men coming out of prison. But often I wonder if this is what God called me to do or is it what God settled for?
_________________
Larry Kemp
Hurst, TX
December 2nd, 2005 at 6:06 pm
Old_Airman,
I have a similar story as yours, the only difference is I went to a Lutheran College, majored in Religion and went on to seminary and graduated with an MDiv degree. For various reasons (mostly financial and timing), however, I never became an ordained minister. I am a technical writer (a job I didn’t even know existed when I went to seminary).
I strongly believe that the calling of an ordained minister is no higher than that of a technical writer (or any other job). God needs people in all types of positions in order to bring about his kingdom on earth.
If you were to rank vocations, the only vocations that truly outrank others is that of parents. Otherwise God will use your gifts wherever you are. And don’t for a second believe that a pastor is a higher calling and that other jobs are “settling.” Changing lives and ministering to people is important, and getting paid by a church to do that makes it no less noble to God.
The most helpful resource on this topic that I have found is a now out of print book, Luther on Vocation. The only place I know where you can obtain this cheap book is from the Luther Seminary Bookstore. If interested, you can contact them and they’ll ship it to you cheap (bookstore@luthersem.edu).
Hope that helps.
eric
August 28th, 2006 at 4:46 pm
Where can we read other people’s comments?
August 29th, 2006 at 8:32 am
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