By Matt Rusten; reprinted from Made to Flourish. With each new day, we are inundated with frightening numbers. The pandemic has upended life as we know it. Pastors and churches are beginning to respond, as they demonstrate the love of Christ in tangible ways. In times like these, it is important to listen and learn from our sisters and brothers…
Reprinted from the Denver Institute for Faith and Work. Samantha Glenn is a current 5280 Fellow and a strategist with Peak Refreshments. As a food services company, fears about the Coronavirus have interrupted their normal workflow drastically. But the disruptions caused by the pandemic have also created a new opportunity to partner with local churches and nonprofits to enhance food access for their…
By Darren Lim, reprinted from the Salt & Light Australia Daily Devotional. Learning to value and recognize the contribution of every individual is incredibly important. Our modern-day ecosystems are built around speed, efficiency and productiveness which while having their advantages, can also lead to transactional relationships and a lack of general empathy for the emotional needs of people stuck in…
By Jim Grubs, reprinted from Minding the Gap. Over the last decade and more, the metaphor of “The Bus” has become popular within many of our business, service and educational organizations. It, indeed, has been a helpful way to look at both organizations and individuals within the organization. Questions such as “What is the purpose of the ‘bus’?”; “What direction is the…
By Klaus Issler; part three of a series. Reprinted from the Oikonomia Network. When friends learned I was studying lending in the Old Testament, some asked: What about “payday loans”? Let’s see how the Old Testament’s teaching about loan ethics applies to this controversial practice. As we have seen, one component of Old Testament generosity for the working poor is loans to…
By Sarah Heynemann, reprinted from the Salt & Light Australia Daily Devotional. The path forward would seem obvious, if only I knew how many months or years I had left. Tell me three months, I’d just spend time with family. Tell me one year, I’d have a plan (write that book). Give me 10 years, I’d get back to treating diseases.…
By Philip E. Thompson, reprinted from the Oikonomia Network. Toward the end of the last Seminary Spotlight report from Sioux Falls Seminary, we shifted our focus a little. Having reported the deep integration of themes attendant on work and the economy in our curricular and co-curricular opportunities, and having shared the fruit being borne by our students in their varied contexts of…
By Lisa Slayton; part six of a series. Reprinted from The Wholeness Journey. Myth #5: Calling is Discerned Individually This myth is tricky, because of course there is some truth here. In fact, you are the one who will ultimately gain clarity of calling as you go through the excavation and uncovering process of vocational discernment. For some professions, there is…
By Renee Tan; reprinted from the Salt & Light Australia Daily Devotional. The workplace is often a source of stress, challenge and temptation for Christian workers. But seeking paid employment can also train us to be more like Christ. My recent job-hunting adventures have helped me see God’s faithfulness despite the weakness of my own faith in Him. In pitching…
By Bill Peel. Reprinted from the LeTourneau Center for Faith and Work. Are you called to ministry? Okay, you probably realize that’s a trick question because we’re all called to ministry as Christ’s ambassadors of redemption. However, I spend a good deal of time talking to people who are well-establish in their work, but they want to leave their work and “go…
