The Dignity of the Work

The role of the marketplace worker—the teacher—the firefighter—the doctor—the small business owner—is, first of all, to be present. Through your presence, you bring a witness that it is not only you who is present but God is present through you. By showing up in the dailiness of your work be it glamorous or dirty, your presence is a witness that we are not alone—that God is with us. Our confusion in our soul is often in the crux of our soul. We think we have to become “more”—something more than we are right now. The real work of life begins when we simply learn to show up.In a world where we face competition, rivaling priorities and busyness, presence is perhaps one of the most under-estimated and unappreciated aspects to being in the marketplace and not of the marketplace. To show up in your work zone is to awaken to the realization that God has already gone before you. When you open the door to your work, God is already there ahead of you--not behind you. Being assured of this fact can transform how you work and the way you work.We do not just encounter God in our church. We encounter God just as Jesus encountered people in the marketplace. Wherever people are—God is too! [tweetthis]“Bidden or unbidden, God is present.” [/tweetthis]This adage is for ordinary people, who have ordinary jobs, to become aware and awake to the fact that God is with us. [tweetthis]There is no work zone where God is absent.[/tweetthis][tweetthis]That imaginary line that some folks have drawn between sacred work and secular work needs to be erased.[/tweetthis] All work is sacred and to show up in your work clothes and to put on your uniform—whatever that may be: tie or stethoscope or steel tip toe boots, God walks with us. We bring the incarnation of God to the workplace through our skin; our voice and our hands.When we create, we engage in the Genesis creation of making something happen—every day and each day. When the school bell rings- creation begins.When the email comes in,-creation begins.When the voice mail is listened to-creation begins.When your door closes or you enter the cubicle--the work zone begins. Our work, no matter how menial; how significant; important or bland is a part of the unfolding of God’s hands touching the world through our own.----------------------------------Two resources that will help you explore this more deeply are the chapter in Soul Custody which is titled: Soul Vocation: Choosing What to do with your life and Inside Job: Doing the Work within the Work

There's Something About Peter

Tertullian (A.D. 155-250), the early Christian historian, wrote that “Peter endured a passion like that of the Lord.” Peter’s name is mentioned roughly 200 times in the New Testament. He began his vocational career as a small business owner along with his brother Andrew and their associates, James and John. His fishing enterprise was abruptly cut short, perhaps in a mid-career sort of crisis, when he met Jesus. That encounter changed everything for Peter.Peter became one of only a handful of important eyewitnesses to the life and legacy of Jesus of Nazareth. Not only did Peter’s passion change from fishing for food to shaping and discipling men and women, but Peter’s own life was transformed—changed from the inside out.  Perhaps this is precisely why Peter is so concerned with the inner-traits of a would-be leader and outlines for us the important inner-markers that are necessary to living successfully and finishing well. Peter knows about the work before the work.Luke, the medical doctor and 1^st church historian, tells us that Peter was the leader, second to none, of the rapidly spreading church.  It was Peter, not Paul, who first realized that the message of Jesus was intended for people outside of the Jewish faith.[1] He was a persuasive preacher par excellence; a formidable thinker about life, faith, and leadership; and a passionate defender of the faith against the criticisms and persecution that threatened the expanding church. In the end, Peter was martyred for his participation in the greatest movement the world has ever known. According to legend, he was crucified upside down. The world’s final assessment of him was that he got it all backwards.On the practical side Peter was married and his wife even accompanied him on some of his journeys.[2] Peter was a family man caring for his mother-in-law[3] and brother Andrew. He knew well the attempts of seeking to balance a life with the pressures of a small business against the competing demands from a family. Peter’s proximity to Jesus is clearly seen as he was present during many of Jesus’ major miracles, including Jesus walking on water, and what is known as the Transfiguration. Peter was witness to Jesus’ remarkable ability to perform miracles thus foreshadowing the miracles he himself would be doing later as seen in the book of Acts. Luke tells us that Peter had such power that people scrambled to stand in his literal shadow as he walked by.[4] This kind of charisma, influence, and leadership make Peter worthy of our examination. It ought to tell us something.[1] See Acts 10.[2] I Cor. 9:5; I Peter 5:13[3] Mark 1:29[4] See Acts 5 for this story.From my latest book Inside Job: Doing The Work Within The Work (Due for release June, 2015 by InterVarsity Press)