On Call in Culture

March 12, 2014

Serving the Least of These Through Our Daily Work

When discussing the Christian call to service, we often hear references to Matthew 25, where Jesus speaks of a King who separates “sheep” from “goats” – those who are willing from those who refuse. Continue Reading...

February 19, 2014

Church Opens Subway Franchise to Bring Jobs to Community

I have previously expressed my appreciation for the popular TV show, Undercover Boss, in which business leaders from large corporations spend several days working alongside lower-level employees. In an episode on Subway, Don Fertman, the restaurant chain’s Chief Development Officer, goes undercover at several locations across the United States. Continue Reading...

February 18, 2014

Prophets in the Workplace

In the latest issue of The Living Pulpit, Presbyterian pastor Neal Presa reviews Flourishing Churches and Communities, Charlie Self’s Pentecostal primer on faith, work, and economics. Presa heartily recommends the book, emphasizing that Self provides a theological framework that not only challenges the church, but points it directly to the broader global economy: Flourishing Churches and Communities is a welcome addition to recent books in my own Reformed tradition on an integrated and holistic theology of work, from the likes of Tim Keller (Every Good Endeavor) and Mark Labberton (Dangerous Act of Worship). Continue Reading...

February 12, 2014

Beyond Humanitarianism: Staying ‘Mission True’ in a Culture of Drift

Peter Greer recently wrote a book about the spiritual danger of doing good, encouraging Christians to deal closely with matters of the heart before putting their hands to work. “Our service is downstream from the Gospel message,” he said in an interview here on the blog. Continue Reading...

February 05, 2014

The Mirage of Disability

Annette Gabbedy is a business owner and expert designer and goldsmith. She was also born without fingers, a disposition many might consider a “disability,” particularly in her line of work. Yet, as you’ll see in the following video, having created and traded her wares for 23 years, Gabbedy sees no reason for this to inhibit her creativity and contribution to society. Continue Reading...

February 03, 2014

A Wesleyan Approach to Faith, Work, and Economic Transformation

“[Wealth] is an excellent gift of God, answering the noblest ends. In the hands of his children, it is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, raiment for the naked: It gives to the traveller and the stranger where to lay his head. Continue Reading...

January 29, 2014

A Challenge to ‘Work-Life Balance’

Upon the recent birth of our third child, I took a brief “vacation” from “work” (quotes intended). The time spent with family was special, joyous, and fulfilling, yet given the extreme lack of sleep, the sudden rush of behavioral backlash from Toddler Siblings 1 and 2, and a host of new scarcities and constraints, it was also a whole heap of work. Continue Reading...

January 08, 2014

The Call to Work and the Freedom to Flourish

The Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics just released a nice little video that captures the importance of vocation and the beauty of work, elevating freedom as the primary driver of human flourishing. Continue Reading...

January 07, 2014

Restaurant Owner with Down Syndrome Shares His Gift

At 14 years old, Tim Harris dreamed of owning his own restaurant. He was born with Down syndrome, so his parents weren’t quite sure what to think. Yet soon after Tim began his first job as a host at Red Robin, it all started to make sense. Continue Reading...

December 31, 2013

Cooperation Makes Markets Thrive

In a recent piece for the Wall Street Journal, Emory economics professor Paul H. Rubin makes an interesting argument about the way economists tend to over-elevate and/or misconstrue the role of competition in the flourishing of markets. Continue Reading...

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