Nigel Wright

You do what?

You do what? But which are you? How do you know what you are doing where?

A  forgivably confused (and not unusual response) from someone this week asking how I can be an accountant and a "vicar" - but there is the whole point ...

"... The bible has something to say about the work we do. As Christians we need to work out not just what it means to be a Christian in accountancy, but what it means to be a Christian accountant: that is, to ask the question, "How does my personal faith affect my pubic work?... what perspectives on your work does the Bible bring to bear? On how to motivate people? On bringing up children? On how to sell? On being a mechanic?" Mark Greene, thank God it's Monday

There is a burning desire to help others with these issues ... the explanation I gave was a little longer than this and the bemused/quite interested attention I received during the explanation gave me hope...

Reflections on work (6)

"It's only when we learn to work with God, learning to see what we do is connected with what he is doing, that we will close the false gap between secular and spiritual,

AS the colloquialism of the message puts it, "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: take your everyday ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life - and place it before God..."

Alistair Mackenzie, Baptist Minister & Faith work consultant

The above is part of a series for reflection and consideration - things that have inspired and challenged me along my own particular  journey...

Reflections on work (5)

"Spirituality should lead you into the world not lift you out of it"  ( ....think about it...)

Martin Buber, Jewish Philosopher

The above is part of a series for reflection and consideration - words that have inspired and challenged me along my own particular  journey...

Refelctions on work (4)

"Most Christians suffer at some point from a serious disease. This disease is called SSD. If you want to know if you've caught SSD, then listen to your words and look at your actions.

You have the disease SSD if you say things like:

* I know it's poor ethics but business is business;

* God is best found in the church and least found in the secular world;

* I'm not called to live by the same standards as my pastor;

* Or if you belong to a church where you have never heard a sermon on the workplace, but you have tapes in your library that include the series on the measurements of the tabernacle.

That's SSD - The sacred-secular divide!

The belief that some parts of our lives - business ethics, our school, our leisure, our work - are secular and are less important to God than things that are "sacred" - like prayer, church, pastors.

SSD means that we translate the beatitudes like this

* Blessed are th super spiritual on Sundays!

* Blessed are the peacemakers, unless they attack me first!"

Steve Taylor, Baptist Minister, scholar & author

The above is part of a series of reflections - words that have inspired and challenged me along my own particular  journey...

Reflections on work (3)

The harsh reality of the workplace:

"If learning to love our enemies is an idea or theory, dismissal can come easily:

"Well that's all fine in words or in theory, but it won't work in real life."

But when I see someone act it out in the real world )e.g. Ghandi, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa) or when  I learn by trying it out myself, it is hard to dismiss."

Charles Melchert, Biblical & Educational Professor

The above is part of a series of extracts for reflection and consideration - words that have inspired and challenged me along my own particular  journey...

Reflections on work (2)....

"Even when the word work is understood in its commonly used sense, it can be the thing that points us to the sacredness of all life. It can inspire us, ask the best of us, demand of us that we become more than we currently are...

Work can be the place where human beings come together in supportive and creative relationships, building something worthwhile. People have some of their best ideas at work.

Work at its best is life giving."

Rosemary Lain-Priestley, Anglican Priest 

The above is for reflection and consideration - something that has inspired and challenged me along my own particular  journey...

Your will be done

Your Kingdom come and Your will be done:

 in my office as it is in heaven,

in my classroom as it is in heaven,

in my surgery as it is in heaven,

in my home as it is in heaven

in my factory as it is in heaven

in my church as it is in heaven

in my gym as it is in heaven

..... as it is in heaven.

 Many of us say the Lords prayer at least once a day, and often more, but what does that first request mean to us - the above was sparked off  by some words at Spring Harvest and really is quite powerful - try it!

After all, it is the prayer given to us by the one who announced the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth...

Spring Harvest

Spring Harvest moved into a different league this year tackling the big hitting issues that arise from looking at virtue ethics - our tacit or habitual practices that come from our core beliefs and faith - to hear discussion and open conversation on money, sexuality, power, abortion & euthanasia was much welcomed and also very challenging at times.

Great biblical exploration through the book of Esther and an array of amazing music, drama and artistic engagement.

The chance to spend a serious amount of time exploring faith and work through the eyes and experience of Mark Greene (LICC) was a very welcome surprise and a pertinent reminder not to dilute my underlying passions but to push on... the church really does need to get focused on equipping all for all of life.

A powerful phrase I heard was that "the church is well practised in warehousing people for heaven" rather than inspiring and empowering for passionate and inspired living. 

Thinking about faith and work stuff

I have an invite to speak on faith and work on Sunday (a subject matter that I am very passionate about) and the following is a snapshot of the quotes I find help in getting to the "foundations":

Creation is physical & it is only into humanity that God breathes his Spirit.

We are neither physical bodies with a spiritual side nor spiritual beings trapped in physical bodies.

In our very formation we represent the full integration of the physical with the spiritual.

“Spirituality should lead you into the world not lift you out of it”

Martin Buber

Jewish Philosopher

 

“Even when the word work is understood in its commonly used sense, it can be the thing that points us to the sacredness of all life. It can inspire us, ask the best of us, demand of us that we become more than we currently are…

Work can be a place where human beings come together in supportive and creative relationships, building something worthwhile. People have some of their best ideas at work.

 

Work at its best is life giving.”

  Rosemary Lain-Priestley

    Anglican Priest

 “The reimaging of the workplace would help fulfil one of the crucial needs that every individual has: the need to belong.

We want to belong to a group, to a family and particularly to the place in which we work.

Here is the point at which an immense creativity could be released in the workplace. Imagine how lovely it would be if you could be yourself at work and express your true nature, giftedness and imagination.

There need be no separation between your home, your private life and your actual world of work. One could flow to the other in a creative and enriching way.”

    John O’Donohue, Irish Poet & Scholar

 

 

 

...this day is very busy

An honest and powerful prayer for the daily challenges of life:

“O Lord Jesus Christ, this day is very busy. I am distracted and pulled in many directions. There are concerns, worries, even fears. I am troubled about duties, failures, things to do that are beyond me. I come to your presence from the din of life, the noise of the street, from the pleas and demands of others. And you are here. For a moment I am with you by the Sea of Galilee, on the mount of Beatitudes, looking at the serene water and the green hills. You say, “come to me, all who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you.” Your presence in the Eucharist reminds me this is true.

            You will be with me when I leave the chapel, but then I will not know where to turn my eyes or how to lift my heart. But here I know. Your signature is on all of creation, on the world about us. But it is often impossible for me to read. But here in the silence I am with you. You invited your disciples, “come apart and rest for a while.”

            I am here. Give me in these few moments, the fullness of your spirit that I may know that you are with me, that I may go back to the tasks of life assured that you are beside me. Then I shall be at peace to do your will. Amen.”[1]

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[1] Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R