Augsburg
College has deep roots in the Christian tradition. Founded as a seminary in
1869 to train pastors for immigrant Norwegian Lutheran congregations, it is
now a liberal arts college that continues a significant engagement with the
Christian faith. Exploring Our Gifts, funded by a generous grant from the Lilly
Endowment, Inc. is a college-wide program dedicated to making the Christian
concept of vocation a vital part of Augsburg’s classrooms and co-curricular
activities.
The word vocation is derived from the Latin verb
vocare, which means “to call.” Exploring Our Gifts, with a deep debt
to the Lutheran tradition, understands vocation in a dual sense. First, people
are called by God to particular roles and responsibilities in daily life. These
include being a student, professor, friend, parent and family member. Second,
within these callings people are called to the love and service of God’s
creation. Thus faith in God and love toward the neighbor may be distinguished
but never separated. By insisting on the importance of vocation Augsburg is
seeking to reconnect faith with daily life.
What might all of this have to do with you? It
means that Augsburg is dedicated to helping students ask and find answers to
some of life’s big questions: What are my gifts? Why am I here? What ought
I to do with my life? Where are my gifts and talents most needed? We firmly
believe that life means much more than a job and a salary. By entering into
the world of vocation we are inviting you to look at the “big picture”
and think about where God, faith, and service fit into your life.
We invite you to visit our web page and see the various ways that vocation is
being integrated into the life of the college.
--Mark Tranvik, Director of Exploring Our Gifts/Associate
Professor of Religion
"Exploring Our
Gifts" programs and services are made possible through the generous support
of the Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Copyright
2008. Augsburg College. All rights reserved.
