Malyon Workplace

Why Work? – an essay from Dorothy Sayers

Dorothy_L_Sayers_1928“In nothing has the Church so lost Her hold on reality as in Her failure to understand?and respect the secular vocation. She has allowed work and religion to become?separate departments, and is astonished to find that, as result, the secular work of the?world is turned to purely selfish and destructive ends, and that the greater part of the?world?s intelligent workers have become irreligious, or at least, uninterested in?religion.

But is it astonishing? How can any one remain interested in a religion which seems?to have no concern with nine-tenths of his life? The Church?s approach to an?intelligent carpenter is usually confined to exhorting him not to be drunk and?disorderly in his leisure hours, and to come to church on Sundays. What the Church?should be telling him is this: that the very first demand that his religion makes upon?him is that he should make good tables.”

So wrote Dorothy Sayers (1893-1957) in a famous essay entitled ‘Why Work?’. ?You can download a full copy of the essay (12 pages) here: ?Why Work – Dorothy Sayers Essay

Faith at Work #3 ?Work ? Curse or Blessing?, Neale Proellocks

Neale ProellocksIn this sermon?(28:40), Neale Proellocks (Humeridge Church of Christ, Toowoomba, Queensland) continues to explore issues of work and faith.

The focus of this sermon is the sacred secular divide and its negative impact on the church’s mission and is explored in three three questions:

  1. Who do you work for??
  2. How do you understand your work (vocation)??
  3. What distinguishes your work?

Bible readings from Colossians 3 and 4 and Ephesians 6.

“Thank God it’s Monday” – sermon series report

In August-September 2013, the Toowoomba Community Baptist Church conducted a six week sermon series on the topic, Thank God It?s Monday (TGIM).

Our goal was to attack the sacred-secular divide ? the pervasive belief that there are some segments of life that are really important to God (prayer, church services, church-based activities) while others are not (work, school, university, sports, the arts, music, sleep, hobbies etc.)

Our contention is that this belief undermines the effectiveness of the church in witness and evangelism by ignoring the contexts where Christians spend most of their time; the places where they have most opportunity to be fruitful; but also the places where they often struggle to see the relevance of their faith.

Our desire was to encourage our congregation to see themselves as full-time Christian workers (FTCW) wherever God has placed them.? We called these places frontlines – places where a Christian spends the majority of their time outside the church where they are in contact with non-Christians.? We challenged our people to see themselves afresh as whole-life disciples.

Th e Thanks God It’s Monday TCBC Report?report documents our first tiny steps over a six week period on what we suspect will be an ongoing journey as we think through the implications of what it means not just for individuals but also the church as a whole to have a commitment to being whole-life disciples.

For more information, contact Murray Wright at info@malyonworkplace.org.au

 

 

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People at Work – Mark Green at Lausanne (Video)

?Focussing on ministry of full-time Christian workers has limited the church?s impact.? By perpetuating the distinction between secular and sacred, disciples are not prepared to minister in the places where most people live.? ? from the Lausanne Global Conversation.?

In this video, Mark Greene addresses the?2010 Cape Town Congress?on the topic of ?People at Work?.??(11:42).?

Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done? In Business: Report from the Business as Mission Global Think Tank

BAM Think Tank report CoverIt is easy to pray the Lord’s Prayer without really thinking about the words isn’t it. ?Neil Hudson?(p. 9) challenges us to think a little more deeply (and indeed carefully) about what we are praying:

These are big words. These are huge words really. Hallowed. Kingdom. Your Kingdom?come. Your will be done. Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from the evil one. These?are big concepts that Jesus introduces to the disciples who want to learn how to pray. But?you need to hear as well that they are subversive words. They are words that long for?something different. They are words that say may the beauty of heaven and the truth of?heaven, the justice of heaven, may something of the righteousness of heaven be seen?here on earth. May you make a difference, may it change. May it change down my street.?May it change in my family. May it change in my workplace, may it change on my frontline.?May Your will be done. May we see a difference.

BAM Think Tank Report Table of ContentsDr Rod St Hill, Dean of the School of Business at Christian Heritage College, Brisbane, is the?co-author/editor of the just released report from the Business as Mission Global Think Tank entitled, “Your Kingdom Come,?Your Will Be Done??In Business: Biblical Foundations for?Business as Mission”??(see Table of Contents opposite). ? [Read more…] about Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done? In Business: Report from the Business as Mission Global Think Tank

Workplace Myth #4: ‘Most of us have ?jobs? while missionaries and church workers have ?callings?.

Threads‘Calling’ is one of those words we throw around in Christian circles that is loaded with emotion, ambiguity and sometimes guilt. ?Some of us get to feel ‘called’ to our work, others maybe just ‘land a job’ it seems.

Josie Gunn addresses this issue in Workplace Myth #4 over at Threads. ?

Job Shadowing DanielIn preparation for an upcoming sermon on Daniel, I’ve been reading “Job Shadowing Daniel – walking the talk at work” by Larry Peabody. ?It’s a top read! [Read more…] about Workplace Myth #4: ‘Most of us have ?jobs? while missionaries and church workers have ?callings?.