FAITH at WORK: Individual Purpose, Flourishing Communities TABLE of CONTENTS THEOLOGY of WORK Sunday Faith and Monday Work
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Faith at Work Individual Purpose, Flourishing Communities Speaker Paul Ryan Gov. Sam Brownback Sen. Elizabeth Dole Art Lindsley Penny Nance Rev. Samuel Rodriguez Hugh Whelchel A Special Report Prepared by The Washington Times Advocacy Department and the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics FAITH AT WORK: Individual Purpose, Flourishing Communities TABLE OF CONTENTS THEOLOGY OF WORK Sunday faith and Monday work .............................................................. 15 The dignity of all work ............................................................................. 4 Matt rusten and Josh Good Dr. Timothy Keller The God-given dignity of a woman at work ............................................ 16 Understanding God’s ‘calling’ to us in life and work .............................. 4 Penny Nance Dr. Os Guinness SOCIETY AND WORK Why the biblical theology of work leads to a flourishing society ......... 6 ‘Partners with God in the work of creation’ ........................................... 17 Dr. Art Lindsley house speaker Paul d. ryan Voting with your feet to serve the common good .................................. 7 Transforming lives through the dignity of work ..................................... 17 Dr. Anne R. Bradley Kansas Gov. sam Brownback The reason we work: To reweave shalom ............................................... 8 Work without faith is dead ...................................................................... 18 Hugh Whelchel Jimmy Kemp Defeating the rats: How a biblical worldview inspires Morality and ethics undergird capitalism and prosperity ..................... 18 entrepreneurship, overcomes poverty ................................................... 9 Excerpt from a speech by Jack Kemp Dr. Nancy Pearcey ‘Come and see’ the Museum of the Bible ............................................... 19 The best workers make the best neighbors ........................................... 9 Steve Green Dr. Tom Nelson Works of art: Tangible evidence of God’s beauty, glory ........................ 20 The three callings of a Christian ............................................................. 10 Roberta Green Ahmanson Andy Crouch Hollywood discovers faith and values improve bottom line .................. 20 Work expresses who we are, what we are, what we believe ................ 11 Dr. Ted Baehr TMENT Rev. Robert Sirico ar Education and vocation: A comeback story ........................................... 21 EP d DIGNITY OF WORK Dr. Gregory Alan Thornbury y C a ‘We’ve been blessed to be a blessing’ .................................................... 12 OC PRACTICES IN WORK V Sen. Elizabeth Dole Enjoying the God-given gift of work ........................................................ 22 ad s Hispanics work like it’s holy .................................................................... 12 Lee Truax Rev. Samuel Rodriguez Carry Sunday’s beliefs into Monday’s workplace .................................. 23 Thank God It’s Monday: A Christian approach to Terence Chatmon work and vocation ................................................................................... 13 INGTON TIME INGTON The truth about bringing your faith to work: ‘Walk the talk’ ................. 24 sh John Stonestreet a Diane Paddison E W Mops, people, and the ‘soul’ of your firm ............................................... 13 h Vocational stewardship for the common good ...................................... 26 T Greg Leith y B Dr. Amy L. Sherman d ‘Mutually respectful’ commerce connects, serves all people ............... 14 E Jesus and love: The greatest leadership role model of all time ............ 26 ar Michael Novak EP s Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges and Phyllis Hennecy Hendry r It takes community to flourish ................................................................ 15 dr. Jesse Miranda Thy Kingdom come ... at work? ............................................................... 27 Mike sharrow ECTION P ECTION s INGTON TIME INGTON L a The Institute for Faith, Work & Economics (IFWE) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) Christian research organization committed a to promoting biblical and economic principles that help individuals find fulfillment in their work and contribute to a PECI E W s h free and flourishing society. For more information and to subscribe to the IFWE blog, visit www.tifwe.org. a T sh | Cheryl Wetzstein Larry T. Beasley David Dadisman Adriana Falco sPECIaL Sections MaNaGEr PRESIDENT AND CEO GENEraL MaNaGEr dIrector Of Marketing Advertising Department: Thomas P. McDevitt Adam VerCammen Patrick Crofoot 202-636-3062 ChaIrMaN dIrector Of adVErTIsING & saLEs suPErVIsOr, GraPhICs Special Sections are multipage tabloid products that run in The Washington Times daily newspaper and are posted online and in PDF form onit s website. Sponsors and advertisers collaborate with The Times’ advertising and marketing departments to highlight a variety of issues and events, such as The Power of Prayer, North Korea’s Thursday • May 12 • 2016 • May Thursday ADVOCACY/SPECIAL SECTIONS Nuclear Threat, Gun Rights Policy Conference and Rolling Thunder Memorial Day Tribute to Veterans. Unless otherwise identified, Special Sections are prepared separately 2 and without involvement from the Times’ newsroom and editorial staff. A SPECIAL SECTION PREPARED BY THE WASHINGTON TIMES ADVOCACYTHE WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT TIMES | Thursday • May 12 • 2016 3 THEOLOGY OF WORK The dignity of all work “pro-physical” Christianity is. material needs and desires of men and We were built for work and the dignity For Christians, even our ultimate women … when businesses produce mate- it gives us as human beings, regardless of future is physical. Some views of reality rial things that enhance the welfare of the its status or pay. The practical implica- see the spiritual as more real and true community, they are engaged in work that tions of this principle are far-reaching. We than the physical; other, more naturalistic matters to God.” have the freedom to seek work that suits views see the spiritual as illusory and the In Psalm 65, verses 9-10, and Psalm our gifts and passions. We can be open to physical as the only thing real; but neither 104, verse 30, we find God cultivating the greater opportunities for work when the is true of the Bible. We acknowledge that ground by watering it through rain show- economy is weak and jobs are less plenti- the world is good. It is not the temporary ers and, through his Holy Spirit, “renew- ful. We no longer have any basis for con- theater for our individual salvation stories, ing the face of the ground.” However, in descension or superiority; nor is there any after which we go to live disembodied John 16, verses 8-11, the Holy Spirit is said basis for envy or feelings of infidelity. And lives in a different dimension. According to convict and convince people of sin and every Christian should be able to identify, to the Bible, this world is the forerunner God’s judgment — which is something with conviction and satisfaction, the ways of the new heavens and new earth, which a preacher does. So here we have God’s in which his or her work participates with By Dr. Timothy Keller will be purified, restored and enhanced at Spirit both gardening and preaching the God in his creativity and cultivation. the “renewal of all things” (Matthew 19:28; Gospel. Both are God’s work. How can ll work has dignity because Romans 8:19-25). No other religion envi- we say one kind of work is high and noble Timothy Keller was born and raised in it reflects God’s image in sions matter and spirit living together in and the other low and debasing? Pennsylvania and educated at Bucknell us, and also because the integrity forever. And so birds flying and We have an excellent foundation if we University, Gordon-Conwell Theological material creation we are oceans roaring and people eating, walking understand the goodness of creation and Seminary and Westminster Theological called to care for is good. and loving are permanently good things. the dignity of work. We work in a won- Seminary. In 1989, he started Redeemer The Greeks saw death as As we have seen, this means that drous world that is designed at least partly Presbyterian Church in New York City aA friend because it liberated us from the Christians cannot look down on labor for our pleasure. The author of Genesis with his wife, Kathy, and their three prison of physical life. The Bible sees involving more intimate contact with the tells us we should experience awe as we sons. Today, Redeemer has nearly 6,000 death not as a friend, but as an enemy (1 material world. Caring for and cultivating stand before the richness of the creation, regular Sunday attendees and has helped Corinthians 15:26), because the created this material world has worth, even if it for it teems with life. God seems to delight start more than 300 churches around world is a brilliant and beautiful good means cutting the grass. This also means in diversity and creativity. Other places in the world. This excerpt is taken from (Genesis 1:31), destined to exist forever that “secular” work has no less dignity the Bible speak of God’s creative activity “Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your TMENT (Revelation 22:1-5). and nobility than the “sacred” work of as being motivated by the sheer delight of Work to God’s Work,” published Nov. ar Indeed, the biblical doctrine of cre- ministry. We are both body and soul, creating (see Proverbs 8:27-31). This, too, 13, 2012 by Penguin Books, an imprint EP ation harmonizes with the doctrine