Better Prayer   For most of my life I’ve been involved in some type of prayer circle:  a class at church, a small group, a team that prayed. I’ve had countless people come and ask me to pray for them.   My unsubstantiated observation is that most prayer requests are for the medical needs of others. When the subject of work comes up, it usually is for those in job transition—those who need a job. But how do we pray proactively... Read more

When Is It Time to Draw A Line and Take a Risk For Living Your Faith At Work? (Good Liabilities at Work Part 2) When or where do we draw the line when faced with workplace challenges to faith values? Some of us embrace a guns blazing approach, others stay silent. We hear of examples in the press and from friends where it seems that individuals were unjustly terminated or penalized for living their faith at work. Some of these... Read more

How do you know if the workplace liabilities you experience for faith at work are “good liabilities?” There seems to be a good deal of energy around the idea that living one’s faith at work is at times a liability (See the following posts: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/marketplacefaith/2015/09/living-your-faith-and-work-asset-or-liability-part-1/ and http://www.patheos.com/blogs/marketplacefaith/2015/09/living-your-faith-at-work-assett-or-liability-part-2/) These posts led to comments in several online communities where people shared stories of harassment or even termination for expressions of faith on the job. There are a string of accounts of people... Read more

What Do You Think, What are the Liabilities of Living Your Faith at Work? In a former post (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/marketplacefaith/2015/09/living-your-faith-and-work-asset-or-liability-part-1/) I made the case that living your faith at work brings a number of value-adds, real benefits we can place in the asset column. In this post, I consider the potential negatives or liability side of the ledger. A Caveat: I’m aware that this approach may smack utilitarian: “If it works, I’ll follow Jesus, if not, I wont.” Yet I think this is... Read more

Question: What thoughts about work does Labor Day stir in you?   Labor Day A Celebration of Work The first Labor Day was held in the place where I live: New York City. It was September 1882. The impetus behind Labor Day was to guarantee an extra day off and to champion the rights of workers. The emphasis was necessary because of the exploitative practices of business owners.  Yet, as the Department of Labor states on their website, Labor Day... Read more

What Do You Think? What do you think, is living your faith at work an asset or a liability? In this post I make the case that faith belongs on the asset side of our work ledger. In the next post, I’ll consider the liability dimensions of living your faith at work.   Value Adds From Living Your Faith At Work.  Value adds put faith in the asset side. They include the following: A Context For Work: Biblical faith that... Read more

In my last post, I suggested there might be a link between our driven need to succeed at work and the power of shame in our lives. In this post, I want to unveil the Jesus answer to this issue. We begin with some stock answers.   4 Cultural Antidotes to Shame. Find and do something you’re good at. (But no position or capacity lasts forever, and there’s always someone better.) Lower you expectations  (But how low should we go... Read more

This post explores the connections between shame and the pursuit of success in our work. A follow up post will explore the difference that the third voice of faith can make to the equation.   The Shame Factor Dr. Brene Brown has a great TED talk on Shame: She says: “Shame is the most powerful master emotion. It is the fear that we are not good enough.” [1] (http://on.ted.com/Brown2012)  We are not smart enough, skinny enough, strong good enough, etc.... Read more

In this post, I suggest 7 reasons your pastor doesn’t talk about your work life.   Before I begin, three caveats. This is not a cheap shot from the sidelines against pastors. I served as a pastor for 20 years, continue to be active in a local church, and part of my current work is encouraging pastors. Your pastor may talk about, validate, and encourage you in your daily work. There is growing interest along these lines. So in your case,... Read more

What is the why behind your work? Why is the work you do important?  Why does it matter to God? Based on the following statistics, these seem to be questions many of us aren’t sure how to answer “Over two-thirds (70%) of Christians cannot envision how the work they do serves God. Almost four out of five church-goers (78%) doubt that the work they do is equal in importance to the work of a pastor or priest.” – See more... Read more