LENT COURSE: SESSION 3

LENT THREE:

THE DISCIPLE CITIZEN IN THE WORKPLACE

In this session we explore the meanings of wealth and work for the contemporary disciple citizen.

WORK

For the disciple work is both a curse and a blessing.  The curse flows from Adam’s fall.  In Eden Adam and Eve had their every need provided. After their fall, and their expulsion from the Garden God tells Adam “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life,” Genesis 3:17.

The blessing is the sense that through our work we can participate with our God in the continuing creation of his kingdom.  In our creation story, when God had completed his six days of creation he gave the man and woman he had created dominion (perhaps stewardship would be a better word) over his creation. Genesis 1:27).

WEALTH

The Oxford Dictionary gives as its very first meaning for the word wealth The condition of being happy and prosperous; well being. It also records the earliest use of this word from 1652 an instance or kind of prosperity; a felicity, blessing.

We find another useful sense of this word from the economist Schumpeter’s definition of entrepreneurship.  An entrepreneur is someone who Combines resources in new ways to make more.

Disciples are clearly called to be entrepreneurs as Christ indicates in the parable of the talents Matthew 24: 14 – 30.

  

Wealth then is much more than a huge bank balance or a number with many zeros.

The curse of wealth

The dangers of wealth are repeatedly made clear in our scriptures, both in our old and our new testament, particularly in the oracles of the prophets (most particularly Amos and Micah) and throughout the teachings of Christ.

A careful reading of these warnings about wealth reveals that it is not wealth itself that poses a danger to our immortal soul but rather wealth that is ill-gained, and wealth that is ill-used. Also wealth that becomes an idol – a barrier or rival to our daily engagement with our God and his creation.

*What are examples of wealth that is ill-gained in the world of work in our times?

*What are examples of wealth that is ill-used in the world work in our times?

The blessing of wealth

Through combining the resources available to us we can create something that brings greater well being for the people of God, and indeed for his entire creation.  Our history is also the record of empowering technology, better shelter, more abundant food, greatly improved medical treatment, transport, communication - all of which have improved the well being of billions.

*What are examples of entrepreneurship that has brought great gains in well being in our times?

And for those blessed with greater wealth than they need for their own immediate needs a further blessing is to be able to use this wealth to create prosperity, a felicity and a blessing for others.

The woman who anointed Christ’s feet with expensive perfume is but one example of this.  So too is Joseph of Arimathea who ensured the proper preparation of Christ’s body and dignified burial.

*What are the equivalents of the perfume and the burial in our times?

THE DISCIPLE CITIZEN IN THE WORKPLACE

The disciple worker should experience her work as participating in God’s creative process: in the creation of well being; or a felicity or blessing. Indeed as being a construction worker on the building site of the Kingdom of God.

Just as our creation story tells us that our Creator God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone and created for him a helpmate, so too little of our work can be accomplished alone. 

Many hands do indeed make light work.  They also build relationships, trust and joy.  An old maxim of industrial psychology notes that almost every activity has two purposes: achieving the task and maintaining the group.

*How does the disciple worker learn to discriminate between good and bad wealth and good and bad work?

Fair reward: one of Christ’s most challenging parables if the parable of the workers in the field.  Workers arrive at first light, at midday and during the afternoon.  Each receives the same pay.  No worker has been paid unfairly.  But workers have been paid unequally for the hours they have worked.

*How do we decide what is fair reward: for those who work at the ‘bottom’ of an organization structure (should it be seen as the bottom), those in the middle, and those at the top?

Leading men and women at work: leading or managing people at work are a key responsibility of the disciple citizen in the workplace.  The questions abound:

*How do we engage the full worker: head, heart and muscle?

*How do we balance the rights and responsibilities of a citizen worker?

*How do we end employment fairly?

*How do we help the citizen worker balance his and her responsibilities as a worker and in the family?

*For the disciple manager how does she or he ‘keep faith’ with those they lead about values, ethics and honest behaviour?