Question # 3. The Catholic idea of calling elevates the Spiritual over the Secular and is mostly restricted to those who are called by God to the "Ministry", priests etc. The Protestant idea is one where the Secular is in some way elevated above the Spiritual as in A calling or Vocation. Both the Catholic and Protestant ideas of calling tend toward distortions. Guuiness argues that in each case "calling" has been removed from the "Caller", namely God. We must not worship the ministry or the work but the Caller who calls us to those tasks. We are first called to someone-Christ- and then to something-His will for our lives. As Christian Labour Representatives we too should examine our selves to see if we can pass the test of having a call. Validation would come from many sources; from spititual leaders, from abilities, from a healthy devotional life (with sober judgement) from progressive experience and to some extent an inner witness of conviction. None of us are perfect and we fail at this along the way but as one gets older and follows good guidance then we can be reasonably assured that we are doing the Will of God. In Labour activism or Christian Labour Activism we can seek to context work in its rightful place, something to be done as a secondary calling after being called to God. To be done well and with a sense of pleasing to God. We should let the Church be the Church with its' attendant role in creation and let Labour activism do its' job in seeking to bring justice and community to the work place so that God may be glorified in all things. We can seek to educate those who are open to a Christian world view with ideas of calling that emphasize work as something which should be understood in the context of firstly being called to someone-God- and then going out to do the task he leads us to (Providence?) Fore those outside the Faith we do well to model these things so that it becomes implicit that we are motivated by a higher calling than just to put bread on the table and to increase in wealth. Actions speak louder than words and by patient endurance we can prove to the nay-sayers that we have had a "Call" and that God is indeed among us. (that's faith talking, brother, real faith).

This week's discussion questions (Pick one ... except if you can't keep yourself from responding to more than one. Which is just fine.)


Colson & Pearcey (Introduction, Chapters 1 to 4):


1. How does your daily work help or hurt creation? In what ways might your everyday work as a labour activist connect with the cultural commission/blessing of Genesis 1: 28 and 2: 15?


2. What is the relation between your personal vocation, the corporate vocation of the Christian Labour movement, and the mission of the church, as you understand these?


Guinness (Chapters 1 to 5):


3. What, according to Guinness, are the "Catholic" and "Protestant" distortions of calling, and how might one attempt to counter those distortions within the context of labour activism?


(If you are reading The Call for the first time, you will want to answer the following questions for yourself - that is, not necessarily in this discussion setting: What does Guinness mean by "calling"? What four perspectives on identity does Guinness discuss? How does Guinness distinguish between "primary" and "secondary" calling?)

For those of you within driving distance of Toronto: Jonathan Chaplin tells me that there is to be a cheese and wine reception at Wycliffe College, Sheraton Hall, 5 Hoskins Avenue, Toronto, on Saturday, November 23, 2002 (8:30-10:00 pm), to celebrate the publication of A Royal Priesthood, the most recent book in the Scripture and Hermeneutics Project series. One of the editors, Craig Bartholomew, will introduce the volume, and Craig's talks are always well worth hearing. (As an example, you could read the transcript of Craig speaking to Gegrapha on The Importance of Worldview.) I enthusiastically recommend that you attend this event, which is open to all.

I have to agree with David, while we may seek to bring justice, fairness, community and a whole host of other things into the workplace, those are the things we do. The reason we do them is to redeem work and the workplace. It is about returning God's order and authority to this and all other areas of life.

Koop

Erica,
Hey, the wine was Gideon's suggestion! Besides I am not that fond of the office coffee. I am glad to see that you've joined in the conversation and posted a reply. I fully agree with you on the concept of (a distinction may need to be drawn in the near future) justice. I am committed to equality, justice and fairness and as we unwrap this question further, our concepts of the above mentioned may need to be properly framed within the context of a Christian worldview/perspective.

Justice, equality, and fairness are terms that carry an enormous amount of weight in our present day, and it's sad to say that over time they've become removed from what you and I would define them as. Maybe I am wrong, and correct me if I am, but would you not say that a contemporay interpretation of justice would differ slightly or significantly from a Christian/biblical interpretation? For example. How would any other union in the Canadian labour scene define justice? I think if we were to sit down and openly discuss the concept of justice we would most likely agree on some primary ideas. However, as we would dig deeper and look for the single supporting reason behind our initial responses I am positive that our answers would be diametrical. Why?

My opening comments were simply a means to set a framework for later discussions. For me faith into action is exactly what you've stated concening justice. "...the call of justice is part of the Christian faith." It's part of the whole.

Keep in touch
Glockner

Because of some crazy notion that life matters, it matters to the owner and creator and now He has made it matter to us. All things are open and laid bare before Him with whom we have to do, and so He makes us restless when we see that which offends Him and He stirs us to action by The Spirit who dwells within. He turns our minds to Redemption, the striving to bring into balance His perfect will of justice and peace for those who labour.

Glass of wine in your office? Michael, did your office not show you the secret stash under the receptionists desk? tsk, tsk...
As for the question, Christianity calls us to be activists of justice... justice and fairness in the workplace is not always prevalent, and the constant struggle of many becomes a place where we as Christians feel we can make a real difference. Of course there are many reasons to become involved in particular "outlets"... but the call of justice is part of the Christian faith.

First off, where would I find a glass of wine in my office? The notion of getting oneself involved in labour activism is an excellent way for those who are seeking an outlet to put their faith into action. From a Christian perspective, the idea of relegating our faith activities to Sunday worship or personal/family devotional time is a means to dividing our lives into the sacred and the secular.

As a Christian, I believe that all of created reality - everything from family-life to work-life - belongs to God. I believe that this understanding does not only apply to labour activism, but to all of life. Christians, no matter what their occupation or calling in life is, should actively seek to shape their place in life to reflect more fully the ideal God had set out.

I have more ideas on the subject and will post them in the near future, but I will leave these very introductory remarks for now and see what others have to say.

Glockner

Let's begin with a way-too-big question. A glass of wine or a pot of coffee might help. (This is not from either of the books we will be discussing - neither Colson nor Guinness.)



Why do Christians get involved in labour activism, anyway?

For the next few months labourzone will host a discussion on the interaction of a Christian worldview, Christian social thought, the meaning of work, and labour activism.