Glocal by Love Rick

Author:Love, Rick [Love, Rick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781532602092
Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers
Published: 2017-08-02T07:00:00+00:00

17. Seiple, “Christian Mission in Every Sphere.”

18. Bosch, Transforming Mission, 366.

19. Johnstone, The Future of the Global Church, 6.

7

Work, Worship, and Witness

Work is not a secular activity; it is a sacred one originally ordained by God, and so it must be undertaken in holy ways.

Ben Witherington III

Pastors are spiritual. Businesspeople aren’t. Prayer is spiritual. Work isn’t. The unseen, heavenly realm is what counts. The physical world doesn’t count. This sacred/secular dichotomy has plagued the church from the beginning.

This dualistic view of life is heresy (yes, heresy!) and it takes a toll on us. It keeps us from enjoying God’s good gifts and robs us from finding satisfaction in our work. It often makes those of us who are not in “full-time, professional ministry” feel like second-class citizens in the kingdom of God. This viewpoint keeps followers of Christ from fruitfully engaging people in the workplace. It hinders the fulfillment of the Great Commission. This is bad news!

So why do so many Christians persist in embracing this false and crippling worldview?

One reason for this kind of split spirituality is a distorted, unbiblical view of the created world. God pronounced the physical world, his creation, as good (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). To deny the goodness of God’s creation is to deny the goodness of the Creator. This earthly existence is God’s heavenly plan! We should see the handiwork of God in creation.

God also demonstrated his profound commitment to this earthly existence in the incarnation. God became flesh in Jesus (John 1:1, 14). Even in its fallen state, God sent Jesus into the world not to deliver us from the physical world, but to reconcile, heal, and restore all of creation.

Paul explicitly teaches against a sacred/secular dualism.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col 3:16–17).

Note the stark the contrast between these two verses (sentences). First Paul addresses how believers minister to one another through mutual sharing. No clergy. No hierarchy. Full participation. (It is easier to do this in house churches—which is where they gathered in Colossae.) This is the supposedly sacred part of life. This is the “church service.” This is where we get spiritual.

But then, in the very next verse, Paul goes on to talk about the supposedly secular part of life. “Whatever you do in word or deed,”—which includes work!—“do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.” All of life counts for Jesus. Jesus doesn’t just want to reign over our devotions or our church services. He wants to rule over all of life.

Elsewhere, Paul says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31, emphasis mine). Paul affirms that all of life can glorify God.

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