Work of God Midterm

1. Common Vocation of all humans: Imago Dei

2. Vocational Discipleship: calling of all Christians

3. Specific Callings and Vocations of individuals

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

• 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

• people are chosen by God (election)

• People are called into relationship and vocation

• people are sent by God

• 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

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

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

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

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

we are all shaped by contexts

• historical setting (place in time)

• cultural framework (social location)

• race, class, gender (identity)

• age, stage of development

• God desires flourishing people in a flourishing world

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

• personal edification

• personal career plan/ choice

• what you are doing with your life

• a spiritual calling for ministers

• something we do alone

• and achievement

• 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

• biblical theology

• systematic theology

God as worker

nature and telos of creation

A purpose, goal, fulfillment

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

• humans in relation to the work of God

• work as human dignity

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

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

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

• Forming ( day 1, 2 and 3)

• Filling (days 4, 5, and 6)

• 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

• 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

1. representatives

2. privilege

3. responsibility

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

• imago dei distilled

• forming and filling

• parallels between Eden and later temples

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

Image, idol, statue

• law, instruction, teaching, guidance

• walking along a path/ way

• facilitates flourishing/ shalom

• wisdom

• delight, treasure, freedom, joy

• questioning, misinterpreting

• the desire to be like God

• judgement- curses

• grace- life continues, gift of clothing

• alienation from God

• alienation from each other

• alienation from creation

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

• portrays work as meaningless because God gives meaning to life

Preacher

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

1. find meaning through learning and wisdom

2. find fulfillment through pleasure

3. find purpose through accomplishments and wealth

1. march of time

2. inevitability of death

3. random and unpredictable nature of life

1. order in the cosmos and human existence

2. limits of human power and understanding

• 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

• 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)

• distortion of Imago Dei

• distortion of conventional vocation

• distortion of individual

• pervasive and powerful distortion of worship

• basis of other sins

• traditional cultures

  • family, race, nation

• modern cultures

  • individualism, tech progress

• postmodern cultures

  • individual rights, instant gratification, freedom

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

• link between idolatry and injustice

• the gospel as foundation for the Christian worldview

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

• 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

good news

repent

believe

1. Announcement

   • God’s initiative

   • salvation by grace

2. Invitation

   • humanity’s ideal response

   • covenant faithfulness

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

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

anointed one

• identifies with Israel

  • in the wilderness

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

Image bearers of God

• fullest possible expression of image of God

• fulfills and restores vocation that Adam and Israel failed

image

• followers of Jesus

• conformed to the image of the Son

• 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

assembly, one’s called out

called

• covenant

• Jesus the Christ

• Discipleship

• 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

God caring for creation as Provider

• 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

The world

• physical and spiritual flourishing

• peace

• harmony

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

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

• work as participation in the kingdom of God

• 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

• 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

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

grace and gifts for all of humanity/ creation

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

• Christian worldview

• an overarching narratives in which other narratives fit

• the Gospel

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

work as service and cultivation

a vehicle for God’s loving provision for the world

• aspect of common grace

• God revealing himself to ALL people

• aspect of natural revelation

• universal knowledge of God and good

• conscious

• intellectual

• culturally conditioned

the drive in our hearts to create idols

sin as breaking rules or not complying

are being understood

are being seen

the separating wall between sacred and secular

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

• not ruthless- kind, caring, selfless

• generous

• calm in the face of difficulty/ failure

• be unashamed of your faith and kind to unbelievers

• secular/ material motivations for work

• cause exhastion

• makes work pointless

• sloth

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

sacrificing your freedom for someone else

• dying to your own interest and living for God

• passion for God’s call

urgency, diligence