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Author: The Green Room

Ever heard of a “green room”? It’s the room in a theater where actors and speakers can relax when they’re not on stage….talk to each other about what they really think, fix their makeup, get some coffee, and otherwise prepare for their next moment “on.” Well, this blog is the green room for the faith and work movement, where its leaders can kick off their shoes, grab a cup of coffee or a mug of tea, and talk heart-to-heart about where the movement’s come from, where it’s going, what’s working, and what’s not working. We hope you’ll join the conversation.

On the Freedom of Generosity

By Paul Taylor, reprinted from the Bay Area Center for Faith, Work & Tech. In one of his most challenging statements, Jesus once told a wealthy young man to sell all his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. That instruction has generated a variety of responses among Jesus’ followers. Some actually do what he suggested. Some feel guilty…

Work from the Beginning: Genesis 7-8

By David Williamson, part seven of a series. God’s intent in saving Noah and the contents of the ark is broader and more comprehensive than the particular creatures and plants. God uses Noah and this remnant from the original creation to preserve all forms of life. Is Noah in this way an environmentalist, understanding and protecting the whole hearth for future…

Ambition: A Small-Group Study

Reprinted from the Theology of Work Project. Note to the Leader This study is intended to engage Christians who work in a discussion about ambition. It brings together the practical reality of life at work and the spiritual guidance of the Bible. The study begins with an optional, provocative video. It is not intended as a statement of what’s right,…

In Praise of Ordinary Work: Individualism

By Chris Armstrong, reprinted from Humanism as a Way of Life. Part three of a series. At the root of all these cults (and many others no doubt), there is one underlying cultural narrative. This narrative stands in the way of the kind of vocational life that the Onion article is pointing toward through its satire – a vocational life that is…

So What Are We Meeting For? Giving Jesus His Rightful Place

By Jules Gadsby; reprinted from the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity. …so that he might come to have first place in everything. Colossians 1:18, NRSVue Since NASA first began releasing them in 2022, the pictures coming back from the James Webb space telescope have been breathtaking, showing the sheer scale and beauty of our universe. To be useful, though, the images have…

Responsible to Serve Our Communities

By Charlie Self, reprinted from the Oikonomia Network. The Economic Wisdom Project is best known for our Economic Wisdom Project Talks, which are short, accessible, engaging and rich presentations suitable for use in classrooms and group discussions. But the EWP also features print resources, including our vision paper and our twelve elements of economic wisdom. Economic Wisdom for Churches, our…

Ministry Design Principles: Formative Practices

Reprinted from the Chalmers Center; part six of a series. Building God’s kingdom community means working to replace destructive formative practices with those that lead to true flourishing. The Ministry Design Principles we’re highlighting this week focus heavily on the relational aspect of poverty alleviation. After all, we are each innately relational beings with minds, affections, wills, and bodies, and we…

The Church, and Classroom, of the Hundred-Acre Wood

By Brandon Beck, reprinted from Living God’s Mission. In 1924, British author AA Milne published a collection of poetry – When We Were Very Young – animal tales for his son Christopher Robin. His friend EH Shepard illustrated them. Number 38, “Teddy Bear,” was about a stuffed animal Milne had bought at Harrod’s as a gift for Christopher Robin after he and…

On God’s Work and Ours

By David Gill, reprinted from the Bay Area Center for Faith, Work & Tech. This question comes up all the time: what kind of work should I do, especially if I want to honor God and be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ? Yes, we should pray for guidance and listen to the counsel of our brothers and sisters. We…

Work, From the Beginning: Genesis 5-6

By David Williamson, part six of a series. Genesis 5 begins by repeating the assertion that Adam, humankind, is made in God’s likeness, bears the “imago Dei,” both male and female. Here that honor, that identity, is transmitted from the first man to all successive generations. A similar expression is used in the birth of Adam’s son, Seth, who is “in…