service

May 10, 2016

Seeing the Creator Through Coffee

“Good work…does not disassociate life and work, or pleasure and work, or love and work.” These words, written by Wendell Berry, pulse throughout the work of Laremy De Vries, owner and chef of The Fruited Plain Café, a sandwich and coffee shop in Sioux Center, Iowa. Continue Reading...

April 07, 2016

Finding meaning and beauty as a fast food worker

“This is not what I thought I’d be doing at twenty-seven.” So says Stephen Williams, who, while enjoying and appreciating much of his daily work at his local Chick-fil-A, continues to feel the various pressures of status, mobility, and vocational aspiration. Continue Reading...

April 04, 2016

Why Edmund Burke Supported Free Trade

The Republican Party is fracturing on the topic of trade. Alas, in the same corners where free and open exchange was once embraced as a propeller for economic growth and dynamism, protectionism is starting to stick. Continue Reading...

March 23, 2016

Work Is Not About You: How Theology Can Save Us from Trade Protectionism

It’s become rather predictable to hear progressives promote protectionist rhetoric on trade and globalization. What’s surprising is when it spills from the lips of the leading Republican candidate. Donald Trump has made opposition to free trade a hallmark of his campaign, a hole that his competitors have been slow to exploit. Continue Reading...

February 18, 2016

Haircuts for Human Dignity

True justice begins with seeing and believing in the dignity of every human person. It begins with recognizing God’s image in each of our neighbors, and it proceeds with service that corresponds with that transcendent truth. Continue Reading...

February 12, 2016

I, Rose: Networks of exchange and the love they deserve

In Leonard Reed’s famous essay, “I, Pencil,” he marvels over the cooperation and collaboration involved in the assembly of a simple pencil — a complex coordination that is quite miraculously uncoordinated. Continue Reading...

October 20, 2015

Raw Craft: The Art of Bookmaking and the Glory of Craftsmanship

Throughout its history, the American economy has transitioned from agrarian to industrial to information-driven. Given our newfound status, manual labor is increasingly cast down in the popular imagination, replaced by white-collar jobs, bachelor’s degrees, and ladder-climbing. Continue Reading...

October 16, 2015

Bernie Sanders Loves to Decry ‘Casino Capitalism,’ But What About Economic Freedom?

In last Tuesday’s Democratic debate, Senator Bernie Sanders stayed true to his famed aversion to capitalism, proclaiming the fanciful virtues of “democratic socialism.” Yet when prodded by Anderson Cooper — who asked, “you don’t consider yourself a capitalist?” Continue Reading...

September 22, 2015

Lester DeKoster’s 3 Dimensions of Work

Lester DeKoster’s short book, Work: The Meaning of Your Life, sets forth a profound thesis and solid theological framework for how we think about work. Although the faith and work movement has delivered a host of books and resources on the topic, DeKoster’s book stands out for its bite and balance. Continue Reading...

September 11, 2015

Now Available: Lester DeKoster’s ‘Work,’ Re-Issued with New Afterword

Originally written in 1982, Lester DeKoster’s small book, Work: The Meaning of Your Life, has had a tremendous impact on the hearts and minds of many, reorienting our attitudes and amplifying our visions about all that, at first, might seem mundane. Continue Reading...

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