Tag: vocation
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ReFrame: Following Christ in the Modern Era
What does it mean to follow Christ in our era? That is the central question for Christians in any era, but it is particularly challenging today. Some suggest that our postmodern and post-Christendom context is creating a level of disruption in the Church not seen since the Reformation. I think that is likely true. So…
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Faith and Business – Michael Jinkins
Huffington Post Business: Faith and Business – Michael Jinkins The church has a knack for depreciating the vocations of the laity. Well, perhaps not all vocations of the laity. The church routinely blesses vocations like the helping professions and education, especially if they are in the not-for-profit realm. But the church is ambivalent, at best,…
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Does God Ordain Us to the Hardware Business?
I preached at Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church, in Kansas City, MO, on March 16, 2014. The sermon begins by wondering if it is appropriate to ordain people to the hardware business. The sermon text is Genesis 12:1-4, and the real issue is the ministry of work in everyday life. I think this is the first…
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Why ‘Follow Your Passion’ Is Bizarre Advice
Huffington Post: Why 'Follow Your Passion' Is Bizarre Advice This is an excellent article on an important TED Talk! A couple years ago, I launched a simple experiment. I identified a large group of people, from a variety of different professional fields, who all self-reported to love what they do for a living. I then gave…
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The Evangelical Work Ethic
Christianity Today: The Evangelical Work Ethic Forget Weber. We don't need social science to know that God cares about our work. … … American evangelicals have been rediscovering the precious truth that all honest work serves as a spiritual calling to fruitful and worshipful service (Gen. 2:15; Col. 3:22-24). That means everyone – not just…
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David Fitch on a New “Order” of Clergy
Reclaiming the Mission: Create a New ‘Order’ of Clergy: A Recommendation to Denominations – David Fitch … I suggest there is a need for a new order of clergy (if I may call it that): a missional leader who can understand the relationship between work and ministry so that it is seamless. He or she…
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Business as Calling
Last summer, I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Thom Thomson, professor of finance at the University of Texas. Dr. Thomson was in Toronto a week ago preaching at his brother's church, Every Nation, Greater Toronto. The topic was "Business as Calling." This is a wonderful presentation! You can find the 30 sermon at Faith…
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The Active Life – 8. “Threatened With Resurrection”: Acts of Death or New Life. Parker Palmer
Today we come to the eighth and final chapter in Parker Palmer's The Active Life: A Spirituality of Creativity, Work, and Caring, titled "' Threatened With Resurrection': Acts of Death or New Life." The Horizons of Action In this final chapter, Palmer offers insight into the meaning of resurrection. He opens by reminding us that…
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The Active Life – 7. “Loaves and Fishes”: Acts of Scarcity or Abundance. Parker Palmer
Today we come to the seventh chapter in Parker Palmers’ The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity, and Caring, titled “’Loaves and Fishes’: Acts of Scarcity or Abundance.” We will begin with a review of Palmer’s main points. I agree with his general conclusion in this chapter, but I find his path to his…
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The Active Life – 6. “Jesus in the Desert”: The Temptations of Action. Parker Palmer
Continuing our series on Parker Palmer's The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity, and Caring, we look at Chapter 6, "' Jesus in the Desert': The Temptations of Action." The story in this chapter is the temptation of Jesus in the desert as given in Luke 4:1-15, (Jerusalem Bible, modified by Palmer with inclusive…