As we open Finding Calcutta: What Mother Teresa Taught Me About Meaningful Work and Service (Mary Poplin. IVP. 2008), let’s begin by wrestling with “Finding (my/your) Calcutta.â€
- Jesus is Savior and Lord. We want to know His calling for our lives. We want to know His calling for our lives together in the Church.
- It is personal – “Serving Jesus†versus “Serving People†(or “Serving Causes”).
- It cannot be about us either too much, i.e., going it alone, or too little, i.e., I’m just an insignificant part of Cosmos. Each of us has been created by a personal, knowing, loving God for a purpose in His Kingdom.
- The starting point is to be God’s where each of us currently finds himself/herself.
- Deeper insights into our calling are not forced and may not be dramatic. Scripture commends us to be content in our circumstances, taking all our cares to God, and trusting in Him for guidance. We are also not to limit God through our own small expectations.
“Finding Calcutta†Outline
- Planning
- Where am I now? Is this my calling? We can view our life’s walk with Christ as a journey. There are times when we walk in silence with Jesus; times when we debate. There are times when we run the race; others when He carries us over hurdles. There are times when we search and wander, and times when we see Him show us the path.
- Where is Calcutta? Somewhere beyond (just) ourselves.
- My calling has to be about me, right? It must be about God first. This was a clear mark of the character of Mother Teresa.
- How do I get there? How should I prepare for the journey? We are warned by Scripture to count the costs. We are admonished, in ways of our faith, to be child-like. Our preparation for our calling is not an educational pursuit or technical training alone.
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