Work of God Midterm

3 Realms of Vocational Significance

1. Common Vocation of all humans: Imago Dei

2. Vocational Discipleship: calling of all Christians

3. Specific Callings and Vocations of individuals

Sayers Essay: Why Work

Work can be understood as a way of life not just a means to an end, necessary evil, or idol

Alternative Proposal

• work as a way of life not just a means to an end, idol, or necessary evil

• work is goof and valuable

• Christians can and do serve God through secular work

• resistance to dualism between spiritual life and every other part of life

Calling in the Bible

• people are chosen by God (election)

• People are called into relationship and vocation

• people are sent by God

calling

• created in the image: called to represent

• chosen and called to be called to be God’s covenant partners

• Prophets: called to speak on behalf of God

• Disciples and Apostles: called to follow Jesus and proclaim Gospel

calling definition

a summons, command, or invitation to a particular course of action or way of life, a purpose/orientation

Vocation definition

the purpose, task, or role a person is called to/ carrying out calling

Vocare

Latin, work a person is called to by God, calling

contextual awareness

we all exist in contexts, shaped by identity, social location, etc

vocational formation

we are all shaped by contexts

Calling and Contexts

• historical setting (place in time)

• cultural framework (social location)

• race, class, gender (identity)

• age, stage of development

Labberton: Flourishing

• God desires flourishing people in a flourishing world

• God created humans in His image, to collaborate, reflect Him, and steward creation

Vocation is NOT

• personal edification

• personal career plan/ choice

• what you are doing with your life

• a spiritual calling for ministers

• something we do alone

• and achievement

Vocation IS

• participation in something bigger

• being called out by Jesus and sent back in with something to do

• something that relates to all God’s people

• A gift

• the full breadth of human life and incorporates the full range of humanness

Methodology

• biblical theology

• systematic theology

Theology Proper

God as worker

Creation theology

nature and telos of creation

Telos

A purpose, goal, fulfillment

Theological Anthropology

• Humanity in the image of God (Imago Dei),

• humans in relation to the work of God

• work as human dignity

God as worker (Keller)

1. Creation as work of God

   • creation as good

   • contrasts other ancient cultures

2. continued divine providence

   • sustaining order

   • sustaining life

   • oriented toward creation, establishing, maintaining, flourishing, shalom

3. God partners with humanity, humans participate in work of God

   • humans as co-laborers

   • dignity, purpose

   • contrasts other cultures

Telos of Creation

1. work is good

   • non-dualistic views of creation, humanity, work

2. Shalom and flourishing as the goal

   • human well being in creation

   • harmony, wholeness, justice, shalom

interpretations of Imago Dei

1. ontological: human mind/ soul/ capacity for reason- what humans are

2. Functional/ Vocational: role, task, purpose- what humans do

3. Relational: capacity for relationship with God and others- humans in relation

Structure of creation

• Forming ( day 1, 2 and 3)

• Filling (days 4, 5, and 6)

Imago Dei

• all humans have value and worth as well as a purpose/ vocation

• all of humanity shares God’s governance of the world

• a privilege and responsibility

• rule and steward/ protect

• authority for careful cultivation

Function/ Purpose of Imago Dei

• God’s representatives

  • rule (royalty)

  • mediate (priests)

• Human community without hierarchy

  • all have value and purpose

• Identity and vocation

  • stewards of care for creation

  • bears witness to God’s character and presence

Image of God as Vocation

1. representatives

2. privilege

3. responsibility

Covenant

• shared vocation of God’s called community (election)

• imago dei distilled

Cosmic garden temple

• forming and filling

• parallels between Eden and later temples

• culmination of rest- God’s presence in the temple

Tselem

Image, idol, statue

Torah

• law, instruction, teaching, guidance

• walking along a path/ way

• facilitates flourishing/ shalom

• wisdom

• delight, treasure, freedom, joy

How did the Fall happen?

• questioning, misinterpreting

• the desire to be like God

How does God respond to the Fall?

• judgement- curses

• grace- life continues, gift of clothing

Sin: the disruption of shalom

• alienation from God

• alienation from each other

• alienation from creation

Keller on Qoheleth

• book is about what it looks like to pursue meaning without God

• portrays work as meaningless because God gives meaning to life

Qoheleth

Preacher

Hevel

meaning, purpose, and wisdom are hard to grasp (smoke, vapor)

3 pursuits of preacher (Keller)

1. find meaning through learning and wisdom

2. find fulfillment through pleasure

3. find purpose through accomplishments and wealth

Major themes in Ecclesiastes

1. march of time

2. inevitability of death

3. random and unpredictable nature of life

Wisdom in the OT

1. order in the cosmos and human existence

2. limits of human power and understanding

What we learn from Qoheleth

• there is meaning to life (God as creator, Imago Dei)

• there is value and meaning in work (Imago Dei as vocation)

• we cannot give life meaning on its own

Homo Incurvatus in Se

• a human turned/ curved in on itself

• metaphor for radical self centeredness and essence of human sin

• motivation for sin (self orientation)

• effects of sin (pull towards self)

Distortions of human identity (homo incurvatus)

• distortion of Imago Dei

• distortion of conventional vocation

• distortion of individual

Idolatry

• pervasive and powerful distortion of worship

• basis of other sins

Cultural idols in the west

• traditional cultures

  • family, race, nation

• modern cultures

  • individualism, tech progress

• postmodern cultures

  • individual rights, instant gratification, freedom

Idolatry: key points

• complex in the OT: exclusive loyalty, anything less= idolatry

• link between idolatry and injustice

Keller Ch. 9

• the gospel as foundation for the Christian worldview

• the Gospel reframes our understanding of work- for the glory of God

Keller Ch 10

• the world is filled with God’s common grace the vocation of Christians is to witness to the Gospel within grace and providence

• work as participation in the kingdom of God, discipleship

euangelion

good news

metanoeite

repent

pisteuete

believe

The Gospel according to Jesus

1. Announcement

   • God’s initiative

   • salvation by grace

2. Invitation

   • humanity’s ideal response

   • covenant faithfulness

Kingdom definitions

1. the rule of god

   • sovereignty, authority

2. the reign of god

   • the act of setting all things right

3. the realm of god’s rule and reign

   • the context in which God’s authority is exercised and His will is done

Kingdom tensions

the kingdom is both

1. imminent and eschatological

   • now and not yet

   • future and breaking in reality

2. apocalyptic and participatory

   • work of God and work of humanity

Hebrew: Mashiach, Greek: Christos

anointed one

Jesus’ Testing

• identifies with Israel

  • in the wilderness

• central issue for Jesus: trust God’s plan or define Messianic identity and vocation

Common Vocation of Humanity

Image bearers of God

Jesus as the image of God

• fullest possible expression of image of God

• fulfills and restores vocation that Adam and Israel failed

Eikon

image

Discipleship

• followers of Jesus

• conformed to the image of the Son

The Church

• assembly called out from the world into holy vocation

• a kingdom of priests bearing witness to Gospel

• God’s presence on earth

• the body of Christ: the Son, the here and now, and the anticipated return

Ekklesia

assembly, one’s called out

Kaleo

called

Christology and vocational discipleship

• covenant

• Jesus the Christ

• Discipleship

Keller Ch 1: the design of work

• work as God’s design- the theology of work

• work is good: God worked, humans are called to work, work will be a part of paradise

• work gives humans purpose

• work is a gift from God

• rest and taking time to worship is key

providence

God caring for creation as Provider

Keller Ch 2: the dignity of work

• Work as human dignity- theological anthropology

• work is evidence of dignity because it reflects Imago Dei

• only humans are given a job

• work=dignity because God does it and we do it in his place

• no task is too small to hold dignity

what is the forerunner of the new heavens and earth?

The world

Shalom

• physical and spiritual flourishing

• peace

• harmony

Keller Ch 3: work as cultivation

• work as service and cultivation (ethics and vocation)

• work is a way to serve through creativity, culture building

• filling the earth= civilization

• cultivate creation

• bringing order out of chaos= cultural development

Keller Ch 4: work as service

• God provides purpose for our work through service

• god gives us gifts to build up the human community

• something is a vocation if you are called to it and it serves someone/ something

• work should not fulfill us/ our need for power

• God’s call is empowering

• competent work is a form of love

Keller Ch 5: work becomes fruitless

• sin disrupts and distorts the goodness of work (fruitless)

• sin effects all areas of life

• through hope in God we will never be ultimately discouraged in work

• our work in this life is not the final word

• work is both fulfilling and frustrating

  • offers a glimpse of new heavens and earth

Keller Ch 6: work becomes pointless

• work w/o God becomes meaningless

• alienation can lead to feeling no satisfaction/ fulfillment

• dependance on God leads to purposeful life

• seek Jesus: We will not have to toil to make a name for ourselves

• Ecclesiastes

  • pushes readers to understand the uniqueness and necessity of God

Keller CH 7: work becomes selfish

• work becomes selfish when you use it to distinguish yourself from your neighbor, to prove you are special

• tower of Babel

• assigning spiritual value to work

• gaining a name via a group

• Esther

• become a person of greatness by serving God

Keller Ch 8: work reveals our idols

• worship of self and other “god” leads to idolatry/injustice (Incurvatus in se)

• we can idolize work, love/ serve/ derive meaning from more than God

• idolatry has power over our actions because it has power over our hearts

Keller Ch 9: a new story for work

• the gospel reframes our understanding of work- all for the glory of God

Keller Ch 10: a new conception of work

• work as participation in the kingdom of God

Keller Ch 11: a new compass for work

• Christian ethics and our jobs, careers, calling, vocations]

• Work as if God is watching (both employees and employers)

• human rights are key- all made in the image of God

Keller Ch 12: new power for work

• the gospel gives us a new power for work- new passion, deeper rest

• by serving your work you have been called to you are serving God

“a ministry of competence”

doing any job as well as it can be done, to the best of your ability

common grace

grace and gifts for all of humanity/ creation

Worldview

• everyone has a worldview that influences the lens they see the world through

• Christian worldview

Metanarrative

• an overarching narratives in which other narratives fit

• the Gospel

The Gospel

the good news of the redemptive kingdom of God through his son Jesus

ethics and vocation

work as service and cultivation

biblical conception of work

a vehicle for God’s loving provision for the world

general revelation

• aspect of common grace

• God revealing himself to ALL people

first order beliefs

• aspect of natural revelation

• universal knowledge of God and good

second order beliefs

• conscious

• intellectual

• culturally conditioned

thick view of sin

the drive in our hearts to create idols

thin view of sin

sin as breaking rules or not complying

nosumena

are being understood

kathopatai

are being seen

dualism

the separating wall between sacred and secular

wisdom

knowing what to do when moral rules don’t provide a clear answer

Christians at work

• not ruthless- kind, caring, selfless

• generous

• calm in the face of difficulty/ failure

• be unashamed of your faith and kind to unbelievers

work beneath the work

• secular/ material motivations for work

• cause exhastion

• makes work pointless

acedia

• sloth

• not laziness- a sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, lives for nothing, enjoys nothing, loves nothing

passion

sacrificing your freedom for someone else

living sacrifice

• dying to your own interest and living for God

• passion for God’s call

zeal

urgency, diligence