It Matters ... It Really Matters

Last week, we looked at the word "work" and how our theology of work comes from Genesis 1 (Creation) rather than Genesis 3 (the Fall and subsequent sentence of our labor made difficult and painful). This is crucial! If we don't get this, we'll look at work as a curse instead of what it was destined to be: co-laboring with God in His Creation. That's a huge difference!

Many people feel unsatisfied in their work because they don't see how it matters in the big scheme. It doesn't help that some of us have been taught that the only work that really matters is that which directly relates to the functions of a local church or a mission agency. Not only does that idea deny God's charge to Adam's race in Genesis 1, it also leaves 99% of believers with the deflating message that what they do most of their waking hours doesn't really matter.

I could go on, but the following video from Rightnow.org does a better job than I could. It is just a few minutes long.

https://youtu.be/m06DYIAeCtU

Your work matters to God, and not just when you can intersect it with the particular work of a church organization. Remember, Christ followers are the church, and so however we co-labor with God is "church work," for both the temporal and the eternal.

The Pastor Works Only 35 Minutes a Week

Ever since I switched from software development to pastoral ministry, I have been very careful to not call what I do "work" or a "job." It's "ministry," it's a "calling," but not "work." I don't "go into work," but I will "head to the church building to study" or meet with people or even "make progress" on ministries, plans, and projects. Whatever it is that I do (which is still a mystery to some!), it's not "work" like the rest of you do. I would never diminish the calling that way.

And I've been wrong this whole time.

In trying to show regard for church ministry, I accidentally have conveyed several things that aren't true:

A sacred - secular dualism. Since the Enlightenment, we've had a growing dualism that divides our lives into secular and sacred. My secular job and my sacred religious life, distinct and separate. My work, which has nothing directly to do with matters of faith, and my church life. Clergy and laity - some people who are religious for a living and then normal people. By refusing to call what I do "work," I'm refusing to use common, "secular" words to describe this "sacred" activity, which only furthers this harmful dualism.

Your work isn't ministry. The flip side of this is that I have denigrated the godly value of what you do, as if what you do does not minister to others. You engage people where they spend most of their lives, and you can demonstrate Christ by how and why you do your work. There may even be opportunities to appropriately talk about matters of faith. But if I elevate what I do over what you do, no wonder people don't feel like their jobs really matter in the big picture.

Distance where there should be proximity. By using different language for what you do and what I do, I only create distance between us, and that's the last thing we need.

What I do isn't work. Not calling it "work" makes it seem like I just spend my days floating in some spiritual high or engaging heroically in epic spiritual battles, and that I don't have to "work-y things" like plan, manage, shuffle papers, research, write, or handle salesmen. I don't do email ... I prophesy digitally!

The root of this problem is our theology of work. Work is not a curse from Genesis 3, but a holy charge for the entire human race from Genesis 1. God works, Jesus worked in the flesh and continues to work now, and the Holy Spirit works mightily within us. To work is to reflect God's character and to fulfill the charge He gave us. He created, and then commissioned us to colabor with Him in His creation to cultivate human flourishing. Therefore, all work can be sacred, not just mine.

And therefore, what I do is "work." It's a way to cultivate human flourishing, just like your work. So I should call it "work."

For me to refuse to use that common word has been an act of arrogance that also perpetuated bad theology. For that I apologize.

Let me step in the manure, too

Tempers are flying. Facts are secondary, because sacred cows have been poked with very sharp sticks: discrimination and religious liberty. Lately, that debate has been focused on states like Arizona, Indiana, and Arkansas and their measures to permit businesses to refuse certain forms of business transactions based on religious convictions. No matter what I say from this point forward, I'm likely to irk someone.

My goal is not to tell you how you should think or feel about the issues. I could try, but I find that articles far better than I could write don't budge many people, so why waste good blog space? What I would like to do is process some of the key values rolling around in my head. I don't intend to offend or suggest that you're wrong if you disagree with any of these. Well, except for one point.

Hold my tongue until I hold the facts. I'm amazed at how many rants on both sides of this issue aren't even arguing the facts. People hear keywords, assume battle positions, unload their ordnance without aiming carefully, and respond to all objections with ad hominem attacks - all while arguing points that aren't even touched by the measures at hand. Make no mistake - both sides of this issue do this. You can't stop it, and calling people on it has a low chance of success. What you can do is avoid doing it yourself. Check everything before making public comments. Just reading it doesn't mean it's true, no matter how well it argues your (predetermined) point. If you don't know it as fact, you can't argue it as fact.

Service is different than promotion. Let me tread lightly, here. Regardless of what you think about these recent laws, it's important to separate these two ideas no matter what. The former has to do with commerce and the second has to do with free speech. Whichever view you hold, these are different things, and must be treated as separate things.

Can a rule be universally applied? Whatever rules you promote, run them through this test first: Can I substitute equivalent but opposite ideas and still have the rule make good sense? For example, would I use the force of law to require a printing business owned by atheists to print posters that say, "Jesus is the only way" whenever a customer requests it? If it works one way, but not the other, it's likely discriminatory.

Can an objection be universally applied? Don't embrace the previous idea without embracing this one, too. For example, with a little substitution to an objection, would you end up with something like, "I don't like your view on Issue X, so I won't sell you these shoes, because you might use them in a march against my view"? I'm not saying this is equivalent to anyone's specific objection, but I'm advocating taking every objection, substituting in equivalent but opposite ideas, and seeing if the objection still holds water. If not, drop it.

Jesus didn't die so that I could avoid serving those I differ with, but so that I would. This speaks more to me about a missional attitude than which opinion we should hold about a particular state law. Have the debate about free speech. Have the debate about the rights of commerce. Have the debate about what constitutes discrimination. But in my opinion, followers of Christ have no real room to question the missional attitude we should have all along the way. So, if we argue about the laws in order to hide a non-missional attitude, our attitude is wrong no matter what the law is. The beauty of the Gospel is that it frees us, equips us, and compels us to love even our enemies unconditionally, and to serve them humbly.

But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink.  -- Rom 12:20

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."  -- Matt 5:43-45

I'm not telling you what cakes you must bake or what slogans you must put on them. I'm not telling you what you do and don't have the right to refuse. "Serving" here is a much larger idea than the act of selling goods and services. My point to Christ followers is that the Gospel must set our priorities.