A few months ago something surprising happened to me. My wife came out of a book study with a group of Christian friends from our community and gave me an unexpected shock. You see, the topic of the theology of work had come up in the context of the discussion and my wife recommended a book about the topic. One…
Just Imagine: God a Potter!
By Greg Forster: part five of a series. This wasn’t intentional, but in this series on imagining God as a worker one of the things that’s emerged for me is how the different kinds of workers used in the Bible to depict God are differentiated by the levels of life in the creatures they work on. We’ve seen so far:…
What does Madam Secretary have to say to the Faith & Work movement?
Recently, while enjoying a day away from the office, I was catching up on Madam Secretary. Madam Secretary is a television show that presents the day-to-day life of Dr. Elizabeth McCord, who serves as the Secretary of State. The show does a good job of presenting the entirety of her life, including work and family. One scene from this episode…
7 Ways to Name Flourishing From the Pulpit
In the first post (5 Reasons Pastors Fail to Identify Flourishing From the Pulpit) we looked at the risk of flourishing being a buzzword that people write off, and the reason why many pastors are hesitant to name that which flourishes in one’s community. Sadly, pastors are not well equipped with helpful doctrine, definitions, or demands to identify flourishing, and…
2016 Faith at Work Summit Videos are Online
Just in from Bill Peel: At long last, the 2016 Faith@Work Summit videos are now available on Vimeo. Below you will find a link to the videos, as well as links to resources from Summit Sponsors and Partners, Summit Photos and Breakout Notes. It was my pleasure to lead efforts for the 2016 Summit, and now plans are underway for…
Book Review: Not Talking Union
There is a certain irony when reviewing a book on the subject of unions and Mennonites. I would like to introduce you to Not Talking Union: An Oral History of North American Mennonites and Labour. This book is written by Janis Thiessen, an associate professor of history at the University of Winnipeg. Thiessen’s current research interests include the 20th century…
Just Imagine: God a Farmer!
By Greg Forster: part four of a series. Adam was not only a gardener; he was a farmer. He was called to bring the world under cultivation not only to make it beautiful but to make it fruitful. In this, Adam was like God. In many parables, Jesus represents God as the owner or manager of a farm or other agricultural…
Three Answers on Vocational Mysticism: Part II
These questions and answers have been used in discussing vocation with college students as part of the Opus: The Art of Work program at Wheaton, and are presented here as a resource for others involved in similar work in colleges or churches. See the first post in the series here. Is My Vocation Mysterious to Me? Must I Wait &…
5 Reasons Pastors Fail to Identify Flourishing From the Pulpit
If I do say so myself, Florida is the best place for flourishing to occur. Sorry, Denver; sorry, San Diego. When Juan Ponce de León saw our lush, florid coast blooming with fecundity during the 1513 liturgical season of Pascua Florida (feast of flowers) he declared the land La Florida. As an adopted Floridian myself, I can imagine what Ponce…
Book Review: Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work
Story and metaphor are a powerful means for education on a variety of subjects, including faith & work. StoryCorps has published a book titled Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work whose purpose is to tell the story of individuals at work. Callings is written by Dave Isay. Isay is the founder of StoryCorps and the recipient of numerous broadcasting…
The Green Room 