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I was working through some old articles recently, and came across this account of an event I was involved with almost seven years ago. This is such a beautiful insight into the value of our ordinary work, I feel it deserves re-posting, particularly as we begin a fresh year of work. You will hear from two exceptional faith–work integrators: Wendy Simpson and Katherine Leary Alsdorf.
For Christians in the workforce, it can be a struggle to know how to meaningfully live out their faith in that context. Sometimes they enjoy their work, they are good at it, but they feel a sense of guilt that maybe this is not the work that will last. Sometimes work is simply tough, with conflict and toxic workplace culture, and a job that drains their energy and spirit.
In our churches, there is often a vacuum in response to these concerns. The Bible is full of work metaphors and language, but the message we may get in the pews is that it is only the spiritual things, not our physical work, which is valued.
In March, 2014, two women spoke into this vacuum, breathing wisdom and hope.
The occasion was the Faith and Work Award Dinner, co-hosted by Ethos and Ridley College’s Marketplace Institute. The winner of the inaugural award, commemorating the achievements of an individual in integrating their faith and work, was Wendy Simpson, OAM, an entrepreneur, networker, mentor, and prayer warrior.
She told the story of being eight and hearing a teacher tell her Mum she was not doing very well, and Wendy’s childlike response: “I didn’t think I’d amount to much.” Then in Grade 6 she had a teacher who created the expectation that you would be called upon to contribute if she felt you were ready. One day the chalk was offered to Wendy, and that teacher’s trust in her was repaid.
She went on to tell the story of the Gospel in four parts: Creation, The Fall, Redemption and Glory, and how her working made sense in each area. Work is good, work is hard, there is potential for renewal, work can be a glimpse of heaven on earth when we do it to God’s glory.
“I can say after 40 years of work, that God wants our work to make sense in this bigger story of what is happening,” she explained, “We are God’s handiwork, and he has prepared the work we are to do, in advance, made in the image of the original worker, God himself.”
The guest presenter at the dinner was Katherine Leary Alsdorf, founder of the Center for Faith and Work at Redeemer Presbyterian, New York, and co-author with Tim Keller of the best-selling Every Good Endeavour.
She too referred to the biblical story as her anchor when considering work.
She told some of the alternative stories that we might hear around us:
The survival of the fittest: I need to work because that is what is necessary to survive, and I am a survivor. To win, I need to get to the top so that I reap the rewards and I can stay at the top. This version of the story of work, means I need to do a lot of striving, I need to be driven because I have a lot to prove. It makes work about me, and me surviving.
The rational hedonist view: I only work as hard or long as I need to, to buy the leisure or play that I want. If I work smart I will be able to get more time off, or retire early. The goal of work is to get leisure and play.
·The self-actualisation story: We work to meet our basic needs, but if we are really moving up Maslow’s triangle, we work to become self-actualised: to use our gifts, be a bit like God, be all I was meant to be.
“Ultimately, all these false stories make work about ‘me’: my survival, my play, my needs being met.”
Katherine contrasted this with the power of the gospel story that says we need to die to self! She explained that this makes work easier because we are relying on God’s strength to work to please him. She talked about some of the burdens we load ourselves up with in our work: little idols of identity and self-esteem that can never be satisfied through our working.
She talked about the power we get for our working by seeing ourselves as the church scattered:
Our Sunday should be our basecamp, where we are equipped, and we are renewed for our work in the world. From Monday to Saturday we are the church, in every vocation, in every institution, in every city, in every neighbourhood, out there.
Katherine finished with an acknowledgement that making these connections is not easy. Joining with God where he is already working can be a good place to start:
I wish I was far more gifted and competent than I am to live out this biblical story, to have a vision for my own work that is always filled with joy and grace and love. I wish I could be that kind of witness on a regular basis. With God’s grace, I live this story so much more than I ever would without him.