Many of us see the importance of allowing our faith to
follow us through the church doors on Sunday and into the rest of our
life. It is a struggle at times, no
doubt. Many also see the importance of courageously
making room for our faith to enter into the doors of the workplace. God at Church, no problem, God at home – yeah
that can happen, God at work? Now that
is taking some personal risk. Many
workplaces aren’t exactly faith friendly – despite the politically correct
company line and the first amendment, there is a great deal of social pressure
to be lukewarm, fit-in, and avoid upsetting the apple-cart. Nevertheless, despite the challenges, many
acknowledge the virtue of moral consistency - to be true to your values and
faith no-matter where you are.
Have you ever contemplated the flip side of the
argument. What about bringing your work
to the Church? Now this isn’t about
presenting quarterly earnings in place of a pastor’s sermon on Sunday morning,
it’s about investing your talents to earn Kingdom interest (Matthew25:14-46). The Old Testament had very
specific instructions for farmers (nearly everyone at that time) to accomplish
this in one small way. “When you reap
the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather
the gleanings of your harvest” Leviticus 19:9. We no longer live in an agrarian society, nor do most of the destitute
live in rural spaces where they can glean fields as in Biblical times, but it
seems the command is still valid, the reason behind it still exists, and yet
little is done in light of it.
What would it look like for you to apply your job to the
service of God’s Kingdom by serving the Church and those it is intended to
reach? What does it mean for a computer
scientist or a farmer - today? One farmer I know started
planting on fallow public lands and on church properties for the poor to come
and take their portion of the harvest, literally bringing the farm to the
destitute. And for the poor, its
different than the handouts they receive at shelters and soup kitchens. They have to work to obtain it, and then they
have to work to trade any surplus to meet other needs. This farmer is aiming square at dependency
with love by the way she brings her work to the Church and those it is intended to serve. Going back to the computer scientist, what if
he or she set aside the edges of his or her time at work to provide some
assistance to Churches and non-profits struggling to develop an effective web
presence? What if he or she allowed
someone recently released from prison to shadow him or her at work and provide
mentorship on how to re-enter the work environment?
I long to see the day when Christian lawyers from various
churches in town get together to discuss how they can, in unity, serve the needs
of the Church and those in the community who have the greatest needs. Same with business owners, artists, teachers,
journalists, chemists, firemen, etc., etc., all working in collaboration, in
unity, beyond the walls of a single church or workplace, seeking to bring love
to their town or city and glory to God. They would transform the way we serve
as Christians by bringing their work to the Church. And I’m guessing that as a result, the Church
will also enter workplaces in a new and radical way that defeats cultures
hostile to sharing our faith. What can you do to bring your work to the Church and your Church to work?
DB
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