Faith and Work

Faith and Work Resources

Jesus is Lord at Work, Too

In Western culture, especially parts of the United States, there is an idea that faith is to be kept inside the doors of the church and the home. It's great to have faith—just keep it to yourself. Don't let it infect your politics. Don't bother your acquaintances with it. And don't bring it to work. Within the United States, maybe it is an importation of the separation of church and state into the rest of life. Or maybe it is applied capitalism; faith is seen as a distraction unrelated to (or even contrary to) profit maximization.

But can you take up your cross and follow Jesus in private? And is Christ not still Lord during the 40% of the life that a Christian spends at work?

If we neglect work from the pulpit and in our ministries, we neglect an important part of our people's lives. If we are to make disciples, then we need our congregations to know that how they do their work matters. If we are to help mould our people into the image of Christ, they need to know that their character is formed at work. If we are to be witnesses to Jesus to those who don't know him, then our people need to be living transformed lives at work, too.

Finally, let's remember that many of the joys and anxieties our congregations bring with them into church on Sunday come straight from work. How do we honor work and recognize the struggles so many of our people have every day as they try to make ends meet?

What Do People Want to Hear from Their Preacher About Work?

Wondering how to start planning a sermon on work? TPW contributor Kara Martin (and author of books on faith and work) considers what Christians want their pastors to address from the pulpit in this post on the TPW blog.