Vocation or career?

Our Thursday evening group is looking at some excerpts from the life of the prophet Ezekiel. At the last meeting we pondered that part of the call of the prophet when he is instructed to 'eat the scroll' (3:1ff). Before that Ezekiel is reminded of how difficult his task as a prophet to his fellow exiles in Babylon would be. He is to proclaim the message whether they listen to him or not, for they are a stubborn and rebellious people. As a job description it is a complete turn off. But this may highlight the difference between a vocation and a career. Ezekiel is being called to this challenging task. He is not being given a career opportunity on which he can build.

On Sunday morning it was the Lectionary reading from the Gospel on which the sermon was based. Mark 1:21-28 is the account of Jesus teaching in the synagogue and dealing with the man who had 'an unclean spirit'. The authority of Jesus is at the centre of the story. The people recognise in the teaching of Jesus an authority unlike what they had experienced before. Jesus then acts with authority when confronted by the man. Within the Church community there are different views as to how we understand what was happening in the synagogue and how we understand the condition of the man. But it is interesting that we do still speak of 'possession'in our everyday language but not in terms of unclean spirits or demons. How often have we said to ourselves 'I don't know what possessed me to do that' or ask a similar question of others? What does possess us at times? What gets into us a times? Could it be 'self', 'career', 'money', 'power' or ????????
To ask that question perhaps prevents us from keeping this Gospel passage at arms length.