Running the Race to the End

By Pam Tinsley, reprinted from Living God’s Mission. Last fall we were thrilled to watch our six-year-old granddaughter Sienna run cross country. (Yes, we are that kind of grandparents, the ones who beam with pride at pretty much anything she does.) When you run cross country, you encounter many obstacles: the terrain, the weather – especially in the wet Pacific Northwest, and…

The “Little Saints” of Vocation at Christmas

By David Williamson, originally posted here at TGR. We are re-running this post for Christmas. Thank you, Lord, for David’s contributions to TGR and legacy in the movement! My favorite Christmas nativity scene comes from the French region of Provence. I first discovered this scene in the lobby of a local French hotel. At first glance, it looked like another Christmas nativity scene…

Gleaning: Make Space for the Outsider

By David Gill, reprinted from the Bay Area Center for Faith & Tech. What would an economic system look like if God designed it?  I mean the God who loves everybody on earth. The God who loves the poor as well as the rich, east and south as well as north and west. Would it be all about free enterprise…

Just Imagine: God a Worker!

By Greg Forster: part one of a series. Do we really think of God as a worker? We may say he is one, citing John 5:17 or other passages. But does our concept of God match our theology?  How we imagine God is one of the most profound formative influences on our faith and life. That’s why scripture gives us…

Conflict at Work: A Small-Group Study

Reprinted from the Theology of Work Project. Introduction to the Issue Most of us have experienced conflict at work. Shows like The Office and movies such as Office Space make light of conflicts between bosses and subordinates or between coworkers. But real workplace conflict is no laughing matter. If conflict goes unresolved it could leave you feeling stressed, drained and…

In Praise of Ordinary Work: Virtue, Struggle and Individuality

By Chris Armstrong, reprinted from Humanism as a Way of Life. Part four of a series. But what is ordinary work? It is long, slow, steady, continuous, and fraught with the thorns and thistles of the Fall. It is incremental, additive, progressive. It most often creates results by the concerted efforts of many people, working over an extended time, within a…

So What Are We Meeting For? Presenting Everyone Mature in Christ

By Jo Trickey, reprinted from the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. Colossians 1:28 I’ve got a five-year-old who’s currently football mad. He’s making lists of the most important pieces of kit to buy, asking, ‘Is this good…

A Christian Vision for the Common Good

Reprinted from the Oikonomia Network. Our vision paper “A Christian Vision for Flourishing Communities” lays out how we see the challenge of renewing theologically formed Christian wisdom for the common good and human flourishing in the advanced modern world. En Español: “Una Visión Christiana para las Comunidades Florecientes“ Inside, you’ll find: While the Twelve Elements usually get most of the…

Ministry Design Principles: Addressing Brokenness

Reprinted from the Chalmers Center; part seven of a series. Over the last few months, we have reviewed the Ministry Design Principles established by A Field Guide to Becoming Whole, and today we look at the last five principles. Creating and stewarding God’s Kingdom Community means that we need to actively care about our stories, practices, systems, people, and spirits, which…

The Work beneath the Work

By Demi Prentiss, reprinted from Living God’s Mission. There is holiness in our work—paid and volunteer, work we’re called to and work we resist, work that’s rewarding and work that drains us.  We come closer to making our life a prayer when we can discover that holiness. When we can perceive God present in the work itself. My work colleague,…