Nebraska Synod ELCA

The Stories We Live: Finding God’s Calling All Around Us
Kathleen A. Cahalan

How does God call you? When hearing this question some people may look to their left and right and then ask, “Who? Me?” Believing God only calls people who become a pastor or deacon or being so overwhelmed with the complexities of daily life, not everyone realizes that God extends calls to everyone. Or that calls come to people of all ages. Or that God’s call happens numerous times and at various stages of life.

Kathleen A. Cahalan lays out the premise that God is part of each person’s life story and that God’s callings surround each person, but many times we fail to sense them. She writes that a calling, rather than being interpreted as a noun which is static or a verb which only shows action, should be explored instead through prepositions. Because prepositions define relationships, callings become more about dynamic relationships that change throughout the course of a person’s life.

Each chapter in this book explores calling through the frame of eight different prepositions: “called by God, to follow, as I am, from grief, for service, in suffering, through others, within God” (p. xii). The book also contains reflection questions for each chapter that can be explored by individuals or in small group conversations.

Those interested in diving into further conversations about call can explore these resources:
• A Spanish translation of The Stories We Live
• A six-session study of The Stories We Live for youth
• Two eight-session studies, one in-person and one online, of The Stories We Live for adults
• Lives Explored Video Project from Collegeville Institute

Publisher’s Purchase Link: https://www.eerdmans.com