Called to the Mundane

God works through ordinary callings. This poem explores vocation, Christian love, and how the mundane becomes sacred through service to neighbor and faith in Christ.

The Milkmaid, Johannes Vermeer Circa 1658

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Called to the Mundane

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We are completely free, completely bound, 
For finite minds, such tensions do astound. 
By Christ’s own word and work He set us free, 
To serve our neighbor, fear no wrathful plea. 
 
Within the true mundane, our purpose grows, 
Not in the task, but love the labor shows. 
God shapes our lives in ordered, wise design -
The church, the home, the state - each line divine.

In Christian callings, God’s own acts concealed, 
As masks of God, His grace and care revealed. 
Our roles define us, not our tasks each day; 
In bonds of love, our callings find their way.

Our purpose is not hidden, hard to find, 
Like treasure buried, waiting to be mined. 
Nor mystic wisdom of a secret kind, 
But clear relationships that God designed. 

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As masks of God, His presence flows
Through mundane tasks that come and go:
A parent’s midnight vigil shows,
A neighbor’s need that daily grows,
The quiet work that mercy sows.

In passive faith we first receive -
The gift of grace, and faith believed.
Our active faith flows out to give
The love that helps our neighbors live.

Our station and our neighbor’s need
Reveal God’s will with perfect speed.
No mighty deeds or glory sought,
But daily bread and kindness brought.

In changing diapers, patient care,
Through daily work and skilled repair,
God’s mercy flows in ways so plain -
God’s masks at work in the mundane.

So, works prepared are gifts twice blessed:
Our neighbors served, our faith expressed.
No grander path need we pursue—
In serving love, our purpose true.

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Vocation is not self-fulfilling reward,
But Christian self-sacrifice for our Lord.
Like candles burning bright to give their light,
We melt with steady flame through darkest night.

Our lives become sweet incense rising high,
A living gift that reaches to the sky.
Through daily tasks where God’s own presence dwells,
The mundane speaks—the tale salvation tells.

~ Mark Dowell, May 2025

Photo: Luther as reformer of Pastoral care Concordia Seminary csl.edu

This poem emerged from conversations and reflections on Lutheran vocation. Below is the theological introduction that shaped its voice.

Introduction to “Called to the Mundane”

One of the most liberating aspects of Lutheran theology is the doctrine of vocation—the understanding that God works through ordinary people in their everyday callings. This stands in stark contrast to contemporary ideas about finding one’s “purpose” through some extraordinary achievement or mystical inner calling.

Luther taught that God works as a “mask” through everyday Christians serving in their various stations—parent, worker, neighbor, citizen. Within the broader umbrella of Christian love, these masks extend beyond formal biblical vocations to encompass all acts of service toward our neighbors. While this service often appears mundane, it is through these ordinary acts that God accomplishes His extraordinary work in the world.

This poem emerged from conversations with friends struggling to discern their “purpose” in life. Many had been influenced by approaches that suggested God’s will was something hidden—something to be discovered through intense spiritual seeking or inner revelation. Luther’s approach offers remarkable freedom:
Look to your station in life and your neighbor’s needs, guided by God’s Word.
This is God’s will for your life—not a mysterious calling requiring special discernment or revelation, but clear relationships and concrete service.

The poem’s progression moves from the central tension of Christian freedom, through our ordered callings in church, home, and state, to the broader scope of Christian love where we serve as God’s masks. The final stanzas emphasize that our lives become living sacrifices—not for self-fulfillment, but as offerings that spread “the aroma of Christ” through the most ordinary moments.

Lutheran theology is rich with what scholars’ call “complementary tensions”—truths that seem opposite to finite minds but actually fit perfectly together in divine reality. The opening lines capture this: We are simultaneously completely free (in our relationship with God) and completely bound (in service to our neighbors). These aren’t contradictions, but complementary aspects of the Christian life that astound our limited understanding while revealing the fullness of gospel truth.

Paired Artistically with Vermeer’s “The Milkmaid”

One of Luther’s favorite illustrations for vocation, The Milkmaid captures reverent attention to a simple task. Her quiet dignity embodies the sacredness of ordinary service—the very spirit this poem seeks to honor.

A Word of Encouragement

I hope this poem provides comfort to those who wonder if they’re “doing enough” or who struggle to find their purpose. As Luther might remind us: We don’t need to discover our purpose - God has already prepared good works for us in the ordinary service of those He has placed in our path. In these daily tasks, the mundane itself speaks the tale that salvation tells. God doesn’t call the extraordinary. He makes the ordinary sacred.

Scriptural Foundations for Vocation

• 1 Corinthians 7:17
  “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.”
  → Every occupation can be a calling from God.

• Ephesians 2:10
  “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
  → Our daily work is part of God’s plan for us.

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