Workin’ 9 to 5
Sunday, September 6th, 2009Tomorrow morning at the church we’re thinking through the concept of work, in honor of Labor Day, I suppose.The primary text I’ll be addressing at the service I lead is Genesis 1.26:
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Ultimately, we’ll work through other sections of Genesis 1, Genesis 3.17-19, John 20.13-15, Colossians 1.19-20, and Colossians 3.17.
My underlying thesis will be that the concept of work most common in our churches is derived not from Genesis 1 and 2 – that is, in God’s original purposes for creation – but from Genesis 3 – a fallen, heierarchical system.
In an idea partially dependent upon a recent sermon by Rob Bell, I’m hoping to illustrate how starting with Genesis 3 leads to our faith being only about “disembodied evacuation” – that is, the forgiveness of sin and admittance into heaven.
Starting with Genesis 1 and 2, on the other hand, allows us to not only recieve forgiveness, but to join the movement of redeeming creation. Instead of just trying to leave this place, being “beamed up,” we get to join God in the restoration of all things.Ultimately (nearly) any and every occupation is redeemable, since in it we can join the missio Dei. This reorients the role of a pastor, then. Instead of just making sure people are ready to be “beamed up,” it is about helping equip the church to join in God’s redemptive work.
