Later next week I’m going to attend, in my role as Christian Living editor for FaithVillage, the Work as Worship Conference. It’s actually a conference for professionals, folks who spend most of their time and energy working in a secular role. Yet as people of faith, who follow Christ, they may wonder how to merge their professional and spiritual lives.
The Work as Worship speakers–Nathan Sheets of Nature Nate’s Honey, Bonnie Wurzbacher from Coca Cola, Steve Green of Hobby Lobby, Dave Ramsey from…well, you know… and several others–believe that our Christian faith should be integrated with our work. So do the writers at The High Calling.
Subtitled “Everyday conversations about work, life and God,” the High Calling produces videos, articles and podcasts that encourage the living out of one’s faith in the workplace. There is no segregation between faith and work, they believe. Recently, they’ve also produced a free weekly newsletter.
In it, subscribers can find a selection of articles, videos and podcasts. None of them takes longer than 3 or 4 minutes to read (or view or hear). The relative brevity of the content makes them easy to process. Viewers can gain a nugget on which to think as they go about their day. Typically I enjoy a more lengthy article, but for busy professionals these shorter pieces are well-suited. A manager or worker could open his or her email to the newsletter, click on a link and finish that piece within a couple of minutes. Perfect for starting your day or catching up at lunchtime.
The content is well-written, mixing spiritual concepts with very practical business ideas. So not each piece will talk directly about scripture. You may hear one professional discuss management skills, or the benefit of generosity in the workplace. Other pieces may tell stories that surprise and encourage. It seems that each one aims to connect one aspect of faith with an aspect of business life. For example, integrity at work is a reflection of your inner faith; creativity should not be wasted–it’s a gift of God; giving is not relegated to tithing.
If you work in a secular environment but believe you are called to apply your faith in that environment, The High Calling newsletter may be an encouraging, useful addition to your weekly reading.