Faith@Work.com
Ministering in the Marketplace

"We do a great disservice to the Christian cause whenever we refer to the pastorate as the 'ministry'. For by our use of the definite article we give the impression that the pastorate is the only ministry there is, much as medieval churchmen regarded the priesthood as the only (or at least the most 'spiritual') vocation there is…..Nowadays, whenever somebody says in my presence that 'So and so is going into the ministry', I always ask innocently, 'Oh, really? Which ministry do you mean?' And when my [friend] probably replies, 'The pastoral ministry', I come back with the gentle complaint, 'Then why didn't you say so?!' The fact is that the word 'ministry' is a generic term; it lacks specificity until we add an adjective." -- John Stott

Chad Wilson is addressing Union's chapel (end of April) on the topic of intergrating Christian faith with one's vocational work - specifically from his vantage point as a Chrisitian businessman. He has a general framework using several Proverbs, but he might benefit from you sharing anecdotes about challenges you have faced in thinking Christianly about your work. Josh spoke last Saturday to a group of InterVarsity seniors from three DC-area colleges about the same topic of following and obeying Christ at our work (outline below).

Too often Christians, even good Union grads who should know otherwise, dichotimize the 'sacred' and the 'secular,' splitting their understanding of ministry. You've probably heard folks say:

“God does not really care about what you do. Just make good money, provide for your family, serve in your church, give money, support missionaries, and be a nice guy. C’mon, the only work that really matters eternally is church work. It doesn’t matter what work you do. I mean, seriously, it’ll all burn in the end anyway, right?”

Working as a missionary, teacher, or pastor is essential and honorable. But it is not the only kind of work that matters to God. People who say otherwise have a split in their thinking and support a two-tier mentality by dividing jobs into sacred and secular, high and low, holy and average. This is a proposal that is not Biblical. This is a truncated, abbreviated Gospel. People who purport this view operate out of a faith that is overly- privatized, personalized, and devotional - it has little to say about how they work, what they do, why they do it. But since ministry just means "service" and Jesus is Lord of all, we can serve God by ministering to others through our work.

Interact:
What challenges to you face in thinking Christianly about your work at the office? How do you intergrate your Christian faith and vocation? What models or examples biblically have been instructive and helpful to you? What do you think Chad could say that would help students think about this? Post your comments, counter these points, or start a discussion here.

Outline
1. Problems with Work (2) Ditches - Errors Into Which Christians Fall
a. Work Matters Too little
b. Work Matters Too much
2. Purpose of Work Path - A Biblical Theology of Work
a. God is a Worker
b. Has Given Man Work Before the Fall
c. Man Works Unto God
d. All Work Can Be Ministry
3. Practice of Work Progress - Practical Ways to Follow and Obey
a. We must care for others who are made in God’s image
b. We must be truth-tellers, no matter the cost
c. We must be good servants, at all times
d. We must be faithful stewards, in all things
e. We must be excellent, unto him