Review: Called or Collared?

The very first book I read to help me explore my call to vocation was this called or Collared by Francis Dewar. It was the first title in the bibliography I got off the callwaiting site that jumped out at me.

I found it a very illuminating and useful book. It laid out very clearly what a calling is and what vocation is. The author uses his own personal experience, as well as information provided by a wide variety of would-be-ordinands to help describe the feelings and thoughts a person may go through, as well as the myriad reasons people feel called by God to do or be something - even if this may not actually be ordination.

In chapter one he addresses callings in general, before specifically talking about callings in terms of how you want to be and what you want to do in the following 2 chapters. These first 3 highlight the difference between being called by God to ministry and being called by God to do what you are naturally good at. In summary everyone is called by God to do something, no matter how menial. Ordination isn't the only thing he calls us to.

Chapter 4 is the most useful, and worth buying the book solely for. It provides a series of tasks for you to complete, based around the book of Exodus, to help guide your sense of vocation and to critically question your thoughts and feelings. I went through these tasks with my parish priest and it definitely helped me find areas of strength and weakness. A few of the activities also ended up matching activities my vocational advisor has been asking me to do.

In chapter 5 calls in the Bible are explored before reaching chapter 6 where the qualities of an ordained priest are discussed.

Overall if you are wanting to find out what God is calling you to do, regardless of if it's ministry or something in the secular sphere then I'd suggest giving this book a read.

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