This past week I met friends for dinner. They live two hours away, were in town, so we met up for dinner on Tuesday night. We picked out a restaurant that we all liked. A couple hours before we were to meet, I got a text from them saying that they just looked up theContinue reading “The joy of giving your business and phone a regular break – Rest & Sabbath, Part 4”
Tag Archives: business
Pastors are not called to be CEOs – 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13, Part 4
Editor’s Note: This week we welcome guest blogger, Emily Marks. Emily is an adult & community educator. She and her husband Sean live in Lancaster, PA, with their dog Corvus. Emily grew up as a pastor’s kid, and therefore she brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to this week’s passage. In 1Continue reading “Pastors are not called to be CEOs – 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13, Part 4”
At its core, work is…? – 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12; 5:14, Part 1
How many hours do you work each week? Ever totaled up a close approximation of the hours you will work in your lifetime? If you work for 45 years, 50 weeks per year, 45 hours per week, you will have worked over one hundred thousand hours in your life. Perhaps the only activity we doContinue reading “At its core, work is…? – 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12; 5:14, Part 1”
What kind of workers (and retirees) does God want us to be? – 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; 5:14, Preview
When I was working on my doctoral dissertation in 2020-2022, I began writing about organizations. My goal was to examine what the Bible has to say about organizations. One of my first hurdles was to define organizations. When you think of an organization, what comes to your mind? I think about an organization as aContinue reading “What kind of workers (and retirees) does God want us to be? – 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; 5:14, Preview”
What do people say about you behind your back? – 1 Thessalonians 1:4–10, Preview
What do people say about you behind your back? You might answer, “I don’t know, because whatever they are saying, they are keeping it hidden from me. That is the definition of ‘behind your back’.” Okay, I’ll grant you that. But I won’t let you off the hook that easy. I suspect that most ofContinue reading “What do people say about you behind your back? – 1 Thessalonians 1:4–10, Preview”
When do you draw the line with a difficult employee, friend or family member? – 1 Kings 1—2, Part 4
Have you ever faced the difficult, emotional experience of firing an employee? Or perhaps you’ve had to place boundaries on a relationship? In the business world, a boss might want to avoid the pain of firing an employee who needs to be fired. In Christian communities, the theology of love and grace is deeply rootedContinue reading “When do you draw the line with a difficult employee, friend or family member? – 1 Kings 1—2, Part 4”
The messiness of vague succession – 1 Kings 1—2, Part 3
Succession is often messy. The transfer of power from one leader to the next is fraught with emotions of uncertainty and fear, particularly when the outgoing leader has been in charge for a longtime and is beloved. Succession is also difficult when there is only a vague plan for succession. I am writing this postContinue reading “The messiness of vague succession – 1 Kings 1—2, Part 3”
Can you figure out this modern parable? – 1 Samuel 18 & 19, Preview
See if you can figure out the meaning of this modern parable: A missionary comes upon a Samoan, who is lying around on the beach. MISSIONARY: Look at you! You’re just wasting your life away lying around like that! SAMOAN: Why? What do you think I should be doing? MISSIONARY: Well, there are plenty ofContinue reading “Can you figure out this modern parable? – 1 Samuel 18 & 19, Preview”
Engaging Scripture 