Prayer for the City:

Pray for the recent string of violent acts that have occurred in and around the city over the past couple weeks:

- For 3 separate Scarborough homes where shots were fired in a period of 36 hours

- For the Regent Park community, who continually suffers acts of domestic violence, gang violence, and most recently, the death of a man who has lived there for many years.

- For the family of a Richmond Hill man who was fatally shot in a park last week.

• Pray for the grieving families – that they would be surrounded by those who can comfort and grieve with them.
• Pray for the police and authorities who are working on the investigations – that they would have wisdom and integrity in their research and that they would allow justice to prevail in these situations.
• Pray for the perpetrators of these crimes – that they would feel the conviction of their actions and would have hearts of repentance for what they have done.  Pray that they would be willing to accept their consequences and would be healed and freed from their brokenness.

Prayer for the Church:

• Pray that we would be a church community of repentant people – a people willing to confess our sins to one another for the sake of prayer, accountability and healing.

• Pray that our GGs would be places of authentic community and transparency.  Pray for the GG leaders to know how to model this through their own openness with their groups.  Pray for this to allow a deeper expression and maturity of our faith to develop amongst us.

• Pray for a culture of repentance that would lead to turning from sin, extending forgiveness where needed and healing and restoration in place of brokenness.

Praise the Lord!

See below for the ways we can praise God for the way He has been answering our prayers for Jon Collissimo, who suffered paralysis from the chest down since his accident this past November.

• Jon has been making great recovery lately! On Saturday, Jon moved his left ankle for the first time and his physical therapist has been working to get him to push with his legs.
• On his left leg he now has the ability to move his quad, calf, and hamstring.
• Then on Sunday he lifted the bottom half of his right leg!
• Praise God that although everyone at the rehab centre is shocked by his recovery, we can see God is at work healing him, despite the most recent comments from the doctors that hope for recovery was dwindling.
• Please continue to pray for full recovery. Jon is excited but still scared to be too hopeful, as it takes a lot of muscles to work and core body strength before he can stand.
• Please pray for Jon’s ability to have an extended stay at Lyndhurst so he can continue to get the best treatment possible.
• Please also continue to pray for Karman’s situation with her job. It has been very busy for her and she is concerned about how much longer her boss will let her work in the current pre-arranged limited capacity. There will be a lot more work put on her as Jon’s discharge date nears and she is struggling to juggle it all even with the lighter work load she currently has.  On harder days she feels like she is really getting burnt out.  She also feels it is getting harder to be upbeat and energetic on the hard days.  Please pray for her workplace to continue to be patient and understanding with her situation. Pray that she will have times of rest and time to herself.

James 5:16

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Hebrews 4:14-16

¹⁴ Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

by Ethan Park

3) Our reaction to successes is different from what our society expects, because our successes don’t define who we are.

After Tim Tebow led the Broncos to improbable victory, he approached the podium. When asked about how he felt about being a national phenomenon, he responded quite humbly. Our society has taught us that our abilities, successes, experiences, and accomplishments define who we are. That’s how we get jobs and how we measure ourselves against others. Yet, the Gospel tells us differently. Our accomplishments don’t define who we are– Jesus’ death has already given us the identity that we need.

We are children of God, loved so dearly by the maker of this universe. Our identity doesn’t need, nay, can’t have more than what Christ has done for us on the cross.

4) Our work is a platform for the Kingdom agenda: to make Him known and redeem this world.

When Tim Tebow was asked about the overtime win, he said that he considered it a bigger win to be able to cheer up a girl who’s gone through a lot of medical issues. You may think it’s just words. I choose to believe it’s his heart.

Tim Tebow in his college days would write bible verses on his eye black. After his games, Google stats on searching the verse shot up drastically. He believes in what the Lord has called him to do– use the platform to make God known and bring redemption to this world. That means talking about Jesus at every opportunity he has– not because he has to, but because Jesus means so much to him. That means using his fame to care for those in need. He stated in his college days that he wants to use his platform as an NFL quarterback to bring hope to people in their darkest hour of need.

How can we use our work as a platform for Kingdom agenda? We have unique insight to non-believing coworkers who need to hear. We have opportunities to influence our employers and coworkers to help redeem this world. We can be a Kingdom-worker by using our position and influence for His Kingdom.

What we see from Tim Tebow isn’t fake– it’s a genuine display of faith. He will sin and put football before God at times — all of us do. But no one can deny his genuine desire to display his faith. He’s been criticized by so many in this world for displaying and expressing his faith to others– and they aren’t wrong. He is! And, in fact, that’s what we are called to do. As a blog puts it, “If Tim Tebow sold steak knives for a living, he’d be the same way. Except he’d be the “crazy religious steak knife guy.” Football is just what he happens to be doing now. He wants to win games and be the best quarterback of all time because it broadens his territory. His final destination is not money or fame or victory, they are means to an end: to hype Jesus on the biggest platform in America.

This Sunday (Jan 22), we will be discussing how we ought to understand and live “ambition” in light of the Gospel. Tim Tebow seems very ambitious—making the play-offs, making dramatic comebacks, and capturing the hearts of many football fans. But, his ambitions are rooted in something much deeper.

Join us this Sunday as we discuss ambition.

Read a blog for Tim Tebow and his faith:  http://supermassiveblog.com/post/14237066259/timtebow

Read a blog by Chuck Klosterman against Tim Tebow and his faith: http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7319858/the-people-hate-tim-tebow

We’re often rewarded for staying later, performing better and trying harder at work. Is this what God wants for our lives?

Join us on Sunday, Jan. 22, 1-3 at 41 Britain St. as we continue to consider Faith & Work by looking at what it means to be an ambitious Christian.

For more information, contact Faith & Work.

Our next FilmSpeak evening is Friday, January 20, 2012 featuring The Tree of Life.

The Tree of Life is a 2011 American drama film with experimental elements written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, and Jessica Chastain. Malick’s film chronicles the origins and meaning of life by way of a middle-aged man’s childhood memories of his family living in 1950s Texas, interspersed with imagery of the origins of the universe and the inception of life on Earth.

Time: The screening is at 7:00pm, followed by a discussion.

Place: 41 Britain St

Part IV: Faith as distinct from belief

In this self-titled “age of science,” there are many who demand tangible proofs before they are willing to surrender to faith. They seek to see, in His hands, the imprint of the nails, put their finger into the place of the nails, and put their hand into His side. They are forever longing to see.

 Still, there are others (like Nathanael)[1] who long to be seen. 

God’s voice tells Job that he has been seen. Job’s faith tells him that if God has seen then He is working for the good. Job then leaves the question of how God is working as immaterial. 

For those who have faith, the question of suffering is transformed from the question of “Why?” (or “for what purpose?”). It is satisfied by an answer to the question of “Where are You?” (or “have You seen?”) For us, who are not presently experiencing God’s voice, what solace can we find? Was there anything else that we can find within the situation of Job? 

If faith is evidence of Satan’s powerlessness then “faithlessness” is evidence of God’s sovereignty.

In the modern mind, faith and belief are often mistakenly conflated (faith meaning precisely what one believes). The problem with this understanding is that it discounts the fact that the majority of our beliefs are merely a direct function of our experience. 

An individual begins to sit upon a chair with the “belief” that the chair will support their weight. This “belief” is based on years of experience and uncontradicted experimental evidence telling them what a chair looks like and in what manner a chair acts. 

Another individual makes plans for their future based upon their “belief” that the sun will set and rise again.

Each believes what their experience tells them it is safe to believe. Their “beliefs” are based entirely upon what their reason tells them. There is no inconsistency between what they believe and what their experience and reason tells them it is “right” to believe. 

But what will occur if all of the evidence on which one has based their “belief” is at once contradicted? Should their “beliefs” not continue to follow where the evidence is telling them to go? In other words, when there is no more reason to believe, when all of the evidence contradicts what one knows to be true, when one cannot believe in their beliefs any longer, what is one to do? 

Here, we begin to discover an even deeper mystery of faith.

Part 4 of 5

Read Parts 1, 2, and 3

A quirky theatrical examination of the definitive English translation of the Good Book on its 400th anniversary year. Created and performed by Ins Choi, Rebecca Davey, Kris Van Soellen, Arthur Wachnik and directed by Tom Carson.

Showtimes

November 18, 19, 20 @ 8:00 pm
Grace Toronto Church
41 Britain St.
Toronto, ON

Tickets

Pay with you can ($15 suggested)
Available at Eventbrite.
For more info call 416-937-6102.

Additional Showtimes

November 26 @ 6:45 pm, November 27 @ 8:45 pm
The Young Centre for the Performing Arts
as part of the WORD Festival.

For more information, check out:

The Arts Engine
The Young Centre for the Performing Arts

map

Part III: The Response

The Christian is called to be completely honest and to persevere with patience, continuing to suffer under the possibility of meaninglessness until meaning is eventually revealed. 

If the Christian is to persevere in their suffering, then the question can be asked “is this suffering (the suffering that comes with not knowing the reason for one’s present misfortune) meaningless?”[1] If it is not, then where can one find meaning? 

If we consider the story of Job, we note immediately that it is not Satan who has provoked God, but God who has provoked Satan (“have you considered my servant Job?”) This simple but powerful statement gives us our first clue that there might be, in fact, a will and a meaning in what is about to transpire. Again, we must ask “what might this meaning be and can it be applied beyond the particular person of Job?” 

Job, being a man, shares with us all of the frailties of what it means to be human. He should therefore not be divorced from our experience as if his response is beyond our reach. Instead, let us think of him as us, and of us, as him. 

If we are to think of Job as us, how does this change our thoughts concerning God’s provocation? 

Job, having the same ancestors as I (his ancestors, like mine, having been formed from the dirt), has been chosen, unbeknownst to him, to do battle with the chief opponent of God. More than this, it seems as though the sum of God’s wager is that his “opponent,” in all of his “angelic power and glory” cannot cause Job to curse his maker. 

Is this not scandalous? Should God really trust His name and reputation to what was once just clay and dirt (the substance that all of earth’s creatures treads upon)? Should God trust him to be able to withstand all that this “great” archangel can table against him? 

Here, the mystery of suffering begins to take on meaning. For God to directly defeat an angel is predictable and expected but what of a lump of dirt? …and what of this “archangel,” who had once contrived to make his throne higher than the clouds over the earth and resemble God’s power on high? Is it not a great humiliation for this “angelic” being to have, demonstrated to all, that a mere human who has been gifted with only what is so utterly base and weak, can be infinitely more faithful than that “angelic” being who was gifted with so much? Is it any wonder why other angels long to look upon this spectacle? 

In the end, Job has many questions for God and God has many questions for Job, but neither seems to have their questions directly answered. Instead, Job’s questions are answered by God’s voice and God’s questions are answered by Job’s silence.

Part 3 of 5.

Read Parts 1 and 2

This past Sunday during the Q&A session, someone asked whether there are some jobs, vocations or companies in which we as believers should not work. This is indeed a very deep question– a question we at Faith & Work have been contemplating for a long time. It’s a complex topic that merits a deeper look at how God views our work, and its impact on how we work and what we do.

The Bible says that work in itself is good. Dorothy Sayers defines the biblical view of work as “the gracious expression of creative energy in the service of others/society.” In other words, our work is an extension of God pouring out his common grace to the world (i.e., blessing this world). A realtor’s work helps people to find a place for themselves. The work of Apple Inc. helps us to have devices that allow us to enjoy music and connect with one another. All work is good work if it is helping our society to move forward.

There’s brokenness in each of these jobs though. Realtors may fall into temptation of greed, and work for the commission, rather than finding the right house for someone. Apple’s iPods and iPhones amplify our tendency for materialism. The brokenness of our world takes our good work and corrupts it into work that causes more problems in the world. But, we have to separate the original intention of the work and the brokenness of our work in analyzing whether we are doing good work or not.

I have a few questions that may help you in your own review of your work.

1)      In reviewing your work at its purest original intention and form, is your work, in any way or form, not a blessing to our society/people?

2)      In reviewing your work at its purest original intention and form, does your work have any misalignment against God’s will and His standard?

3)      Does the Bible condemn or warn against sinful practices that are central to your workplace’s/industry’s foundation?

If you answer yes to any of the above questions, your work may not be something God called you to. As His people, God calls us to work in areas to help our society without crossing God’s moral standards. Some jobs are obviously wrong– working as a pimp or a serial killer, working in scams or adult film industry; there are jobs that we as believers clearly should not be involved in.

Next question:

4)      Is the culture of your work and vocation aligned to its purest original intention and form? If not, can you operate against the culture of your work to its purest original intention and form?

In most work, the culture within work is well aligned to the purest original intention. Some are not. Take injury lawyers, as an example. Despite how we think of that work, it is indeed good work, trying to fight for the oppressed who have been injured unjustly. However, the culture of injury lawyers has somehow succumbed to chasing ambulances, taking advantage of the weak and our justice system. The culture of that sector is not aligned to its original intention. But, a believer can work as an injury lawyer against the culture of that sector. It will require constant reminder of the beauty of your work, fighting for those who are injured unjustly.

Last question:

5)      Are you living for the original intention of your work, or are you working alongside the culture of your work?

As believers, we live for very different things than what this world longs for. We don’t need financial wealth, security, power or recognition. If we live for the glory of God, then how we work and our decision making will undoubtedly change. If you work as an injury lawyer, you no longer work to find quick bucks. You work for the injured. If you work as a trader, your goal is no longer solely maximum profitability; you work as a part of a mechanism of the market, providing liquidity for buyers and sellers. If you work in high-risk lending, you do it to give another lifeline to those in dire situations, not to become a predatory lender. As believers, we live for higher standards and goals. We no longer live to make a name for ourselves, but to bring God’s Kingdom to this world we live in. Our work can and should be an integral part of bringing God’s Kingdom to this world.

Most of us struggle in seeing our work to be God’s agent in pouring out common grace to our society. I worked as an M&A investment banker, often using words like “synergy” as a replacement to layoff cost savings. It was difficult to justify that my work was a way of God loving His creation. But, I had to keep reminding myself that my work was bigger than how I looked at it.

So, back to the original question– are there certain examples of work that we should not be involved in? The answer to that is yes, we shouldn’t work in positions where the purpose of the job is to go against God’s desires and betterment of this society. For most of us, we should reflect on our job and think about how we are glorifying God in our work.

Part II: Further Complications

Theories on suffering often deal with the problem of suffering in the abstract and fail to satisfy the sufferer in his or her uniqueness. When a sufferer asks the question “Why is there suffering?” it is the rare case where the sufferer is concerned with the abstract problem of why suffering exists. Rather, the human question in such moments is: “why am I, in particular, being made to suffer?”

Put another way, (and perhaps more faithful to how the language of revelation might ask the question), the sufferer asks, “For what purpose am I suffering?”[1]

Meaninglessness is something that is abhorrent to the human mind. It is a suffering that the mind cannot bear. Attempts to “surrender to meaninglessness” veil themselves in vain attempts to attribute meaning to that which has not been understood. Instead of truly “surrendering to meaninglessness,” the individual attempts to find meaning in, or despite, the “meaninglessness” of what is not being understood. The oxymoron of finding meaning in what is “meaningless,” is a solution that is likely to be acceptable only for those who are able to delude themselves.

Part 2 of 5. 

Read Part 1.  

They won’t recognize us
I have been a part of my current company for six years and have gained a reputation for being a good employee—I’ve even been told that I am a “good person”. My colleagues have begun to notice patterns in the way I live and work which cause them to see me as a moral and principled “good person.” As a Christian in a non-Christian work environment, this should make me glad—they do notice a difference in me! Yet I find myself uncomfortable with this label of “good” or “moral” or a “strong-values” person. I struggle with knowing that their understanding of me is as shallow as good principles and moral living. How is it that they can see me as a “moral person” with little to no understanding of what it is (or who it is!) that motivates me to live and work in this way?

As part of the Faith and Work ministry, seeking to challenge our cultural and personal views of work, we seek to heed biblical warnings against common workplace sins such as gossip and disrespect. Acting morally (staying out of gossip, being respectful of others) is most definitely evidence of my transformation in Christ and is beneficial to my workplace—but is that enough? Why am I being pegged by colleagues as merely a “good person”? Any employee could be a good person, with or without Christ motivating them. So how do I get them to see and understand the depth behind my actions—that I am no more “good” than any one of them, and that my conduct is not for the sake of principle but is rather a response to Christ transforming my life by his gospel?

Two attempts at change
I am striving to be bolder in the workplace. My colleagues already see my actions; now I am trying to expose my motivations behind them. I tend to be quite private and give generic answers to questions like “How was your weekend?” My challenge to myself is to be more bold in telling colleagues what is important to me, what drives me—and to allow them to see what is shaping my conduct around the workplace. 

I am also beginning to realize that Christians in the workplace are not simply “good employees” who live at peace and do not cause problems. I am trying to open my eyes to the brokenness and sin in my company—the ways that sin has corrupted and twisted my area of work. The more I see the brokenness, the more I will be responsible to stand against it, or pray for the strength to heal it. As I allow God to open my eyes to these things, I realize that some circumstances will require me to face confrontation.

Deeper Understanding
My understanding of faith in the workplace is growing. I had started to understand reformed work theology as “Christians are topnotch employees.” We do have a higher calling to do good work—we care about our coworkers, we care about the company, we care about doing our job well. I think Christians are tempted to allow the gospel only to transform them to the point of being good, moral people. What the gospel is talking about is so much more powerful than simple morality—Christ desires and calls Christians to be so much more than a percentage of the workforce who are the best hires because they are faithful employees, good performers, and keep their noses clean from gossip. [That being said, Christians really should be viewed as a very "hireable" group. Recruiters should seek out churches for exceptional applicants. It is so interesting to me that corporate value statements and ideas of "professionalism" typically mirror biblical truths!]

As people who have been convicted of their sin and know themselves to be no more moral than the next person, we are called to be more than exceptional employees. We are called to bring justice and compassion to our workplaces, no matter the consequences. We are called to bring the love of Christ to our colleagues even when it seems next to impossible. We are called to show the corporate world how they can truly put the values they desire into reality, even when it may mean suffering for those decisions.