By Chris Armstrong, reprinted from Humanism as a Way of Life. Part one of a series. Ordinary Work Author Michael Horton says, “Ordinary” has to be one of the loneliest words in our vocabulary today. . . . Who wants to be that ordinary person who lives in an ordinary town, is a member of an ordinary church, and has ordinary friends and works an ordinary job? Our life has to…
By Jo Trickey, reprinted from the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity. I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. Colossians 2:4 In his letter to the Colossians, Paul expresses a deep pastoral concern: that believers should not be misled by teachings that sound great but are ultimately false. ‘I am saying this,’ he writes,…
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…
Reprinted from the Chalmers Center. Local churches are designed by God to be on the “front lines” of proclaiming His love to a hurting world. But churches often make a significant mistake when it comes to helping those in poverty. They sometimes create divisions in their efforts that aren’t really necessary, according to Scripture. When we split up the act…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The Green Room 