"Reviving Mission" (Linson Daniel, Jon Hietbrink, and Eric Rafferty)

TITLE: Reviving Mission: Awakening to the Everyday Movement of God
AUTHOR: Linson Daniel, Jon Hietbrink, and Eric Rafferty
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2024, (240 pages).
 

Are missions outdated? Does God still speak today with signs and wonders? Is there any similar outpouring of the Spirit like the 20th-century Azuza Street revival? Are revivals a thing of the past? Are revivals in general considered anomalies? Inspired by the Asbury revival of 2023 which spread to several campuses in America, the authors of this book excitedly proclaimed that mission can be revived. This book is about reviving: a) our conceptions of mission; b) the impact of mission on the people we are sent to; and c) the impact of mission on the people who are sent. Instead of jettisoning the old ways of mission, the authors urge us to renew our old ways in terms of re-contextualization. Go back to Jesus as the root of all missions. Follow the ways of Jesus in everyday living. Be Christlike to all. Claiming that "The Old Way is an Everyday Way," they encourage us to follow Jesus' ordinary life in an ordinary society. Once we recognize the many similarities of first-century culture and our modern society, we can breathe new life into the ordinary. 

"Grace at Work" (Bryan Chapell)

TITLE: Grace at Work: Redeeming the Grind and the Glory of Your Job
AUTHOR: Bryan Chapell
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2022, (240 pages).

Our work matters to God. In fact, the kinds of work we do are also opportunities for us to glorify God and to make His Glory known. The end of a Church service should mark the beginning of our service out in the world. Yet, how many believers actually know that or practice that? Sadly, very few. Worship is connected to our vocation. Our vocation is an act of worship. It is not limited to simply a Sunday worship service. Just like the popular song "Consuming Fire" by Tim Hughes, worship must be something more than Sunday worship. Author Bryan Chapell helps us by giving us a resource to enable us to see our jobs as opportunities to worship God. With many of us intensely immersed in our respective jobs and responsibilities, we need to learn how to take our faith to work. We need to adopt a grace mindset when performing our jobs. He looks at grace at work from ten angles. He begins with dignity and the dignity of the work set out for us. Our work has inherent meaning and significance, and our participation should enhance that dignity as well. Just like how God had created the world and called it good, we need to look at the world we live in and acknowledge its inherent goodness. We are also reminded not to base our own personal worth on the work we do. With sin having tarnished the world, work has also been tarnished and it is via God's redemptive work that has made all things new.

"Every Job a Parable" (John Van Sloten)

TITLE: Every Job a Parable: What Walmart Greeters, Nurses, and Astronauts Tell Us about God
AUTHOR: John Van Sloten
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2017, (220 pages).

Is God really interested in our jobs? What if our jobs are powerful windows into God's work in our lives? What is the relationship between our faith and our jobs? What does it mean to work joyfully as for the Lord? Can ordinary routine jobs be as significant as those mover-and-shaker jobs? These are everyday questions that would pique the interest of anyone out there working in the marketplace.

Your work matters to God because you matter to God. Every job is a story of this relationship. Through our jobs, we exercise our vocation to demonstrate God's grace in our work and the daily things we do. Through each vocation, author and preacher John Van Sloten has discovered a unique narrative in each of them. He calls it a "kind of parable," a unique story in which God manifests Himself in our work through us. He hopes that this book will spark in each reader a "renewed vocational imagination"to trust that because God is with them in their workplace, they would reveal God's glory in everything they do. In a secular age, it would seem impossible to even talk about things of faith in the marketplace. Yet, there is a way. Opportunities abound for the discerning. He shares about how a Walmart employee named Shirley puts customers before herself, just like Christ who put others before Himself. The forensic psychologist in searching for healing recognizes the powerful role of the Holy Spirit to heal and to make people whole. For Sam Kolias, one of Canada's largest residential landlords, it is a reminder that we are all God's tenants on earth. Through the many vocations, we learn about the different ways in which our gifts and talents are put to good use, all reflecting God's creative work in us.

"Rising Above a Toxic Workplace" (Gary Chapman, Paul White, and Harold Myra)

TITLE: Rising Above a Toxic Workplace: Taking Care of Yourself in an Unhealthy Environment
AUTHOR: Gary Chapman, Paul White, and Harold Myra
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Northfield Publishing, 2014, (160 pages).

Ever encountered the boss from hell? What about irritating colleagues who absolutely ruin our day? Maybe, there is a negativity so heavy that going to the workplace no longer seems fun or exciting anymore. The fact is, there are many places that have a toxic environment that can discourage and turn off ordinary workers from discharging their best. According to a Gallup poll, seven in ten people work in toxic workplaces. A bad workplace also leads to stress and reduced productivity. Class tensions create divisions within organizations.

Then there is the toxic boss from hell. They cannot take no for an answer. Not only that, they can make life miserable for subordinates who are desperate to keep their job. Some bosses are so abusive that standing up to them may very well be worse off. Greed and envy are the toxic fumes in any workplace. Even those companies that shot to fame based on their ranking in "Best companies to work for" are not immune from toxic workplaces. For what is wonderful for now is no guarantee of the future.

"The Gospel At Work" (Sebastian Traeger & Greg Gilbert)

TITLE: The Gospel at Work: How Working for King Jesus Gives Purpose and Meaning to Our Jobs
AUTHOR: Sebastian Traeger & Greg Gilbert
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013, (160 pages).

This is a surprisingly good and useful book on vocation, work, and ministry. Some books cover topics of faith and work with a greater emphasis on good works and ethics. Others cover the topic with theological depth that appeals more to scholars and less to laypersons. Still, there are those that promise a lot but disappoints at the end. This latest effort looks the same at first, but offers a unique take on what it means to let the gospel guide our work. The key idea is this. We have only one employer, and that is God. We have only one calling, and that is calling to God. In fact, it is not what we do but who we work for that makes all the difference. This one big idea drives the entire focus of the book.

When the authors make use of the phrase "King Jesus," it reminds me straightaway of another brilliant book called "The King Jesus Gospel." What Scott McKnight was able to do for evangelism and outreach everywhere, Sebastian Traeger and Greg Gilbert manage to do the same for workplace and faith ministry efforts everywhere. Traeger and Gilbert's years of experience in both the marketplace as well as in ministry settings have lent an additional layer of credibility to this latest book. Beginning with a focus on what our primary motivation for work is, Traeger and Gilbert help us fuse this with the greatest commandment to love God, love people, and serve all. In all things, the way to witness is to shine forth God's character in all things we do. This one tip trumps all other detailed methodologies or strategies that can be unwieldy and confusing.

What I really appreciate is the way the authors warn readers about the dual threats against the living out of King Jesus focus. They created a brilliant visual of an arrow, sandwiched by the pits of idleness and idolatry. Slacken in our faithfulness and we fall into the pit of idleness. Overly engrossed in fruitfulness risks plunging oneself deeper into idolatry. Thus, the guiding principle is to make sure we avoid idleness by sustaining our faithful living throughout, and to refrain from idolatry by being measured in our push for fruitful living. In helping us recognize the promises and perils of working in this fallen world, readers will find this a very intuitive guide to recognize when to push and when to pull back. Once we catch the main point, the rest of the motivations and methods in the book becomes more tightly knitted instead of scattered offerings. This is important because living for God is not about compartmentalizing our lives into neat pockets or drawers. It is about integration of work and purpose with faith in God as the guiding principle for all.

The scope of applications are far and wide. There are tips for Church and family, friends and colleagues, work inside as well as outside our regular places.  In choosing a job, readers will find it a helpful list of "must haves" versus "nice to haves." We will recognize that all those questions and struggles about finding the right job, making ends meet, or enjoying what we do, are but secondary concerns. What is primary is godliness in everything we do, faithfulness in whatever we do, and bringing glory to God in all that we are and are doing. There is a chapter on how we relate to bosses and our co-workers to see them not as obstacles to our promotion or job security, but to see them as people loved by God. Some helpful tips include:

1. Determination not to complain or grumble about our work
2. Happy submission to authority by remembering it is God we submit to
3. Humble acknowledgment of duties and authority knowing that Christ himself had done the same
4. Compete with integrity, that we do not focus on taking people down, but holding Christ up.

There is also a chapter on how to be a Christian boss that should appeal to people who runs their own business or entrepreneurial endeavors. The guiding principles include honouring God with our authority, using our power to bless others, awareness of the ease of power abuse, sacrificial service, imitating Jesus, be Gospel motivated and grace empowered. The chapter on sharing the gospel at work is a call not to be too afraid of sharing the gospel when the opportunity presents itself, and not to be too insensitive to push down the good news to those who are resistant. What is needed is to be ready at all times, to be sensitive to Spirit-led moments, and to build good relationships for the gospel to flourish. As expected, the authors assert once more that full-time work is not more important than regular work outside the Church or Christian borders. The key thing is to see how God, our Employer is deploying us. Some are deployed for Church work. Others are deployed for work in secular settings. The key thing is that we are all members of the same body and workers for the Same Boss.

I am excited to recommend this book highly as we kick off a brand new year 2014!

Do check out their website here for more resources.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Zondervan and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Christians in an Age of Wealth" (Craig L. Blomberg)

TITLE: Christians in an Age of Wealth: A Biblical Theology of Stewardship (Biblical Theology for Life)
AUTHOR: Craig L. Blomberg
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013, (272 pages).

[Zondervan Special $3.99 ebook download here. Offer ends Dec 8th, 2013.]

It was 4% in the 1920s. Now, it hovers around 2%. In general, giving has gone down substantially over the years. At the same time, American spending patterns have risen astronomically with huge discretionary income allocated for "non-essential stuff" such as "pleasure boats, jewelry, booze, gambling, and candy." Craig Blomberg then takes aim at the rich Christians sector, especially those who had invested "state of the art facilities and technology" to sustain their church ministries. That is not all. The criticisms roll on:

• How is it justifiable for rich Christians to channel funds to already wealthy establishments, and not worry about the those living way below the poverty line?
• Is the Church guilty of "passing the buck" where a need is someone else's problem?
• For those who gave to the poor, how much of those giving have actually done more harm than good?
• Why must Western missionaries be paid "Western salaries" in the country they serve in?
• Why are there so many initiatives, charity, mission work, and other ministry causes duplicating one another's efforts, without even trying to coordinate their efforts? 

"Every Good Endeavor" (Tim Keller)

TITLE: Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work
AUTHOR: Tim Keller
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Dutton Press, 2012, (292 pages).

Is there such a thing as "Christian work?" When Christians who band together in a business venture fails, does that mean they have failed as Christians in the marketplace? How do we make sense of work? These and many more are ably dealt with by Tim Keller. Keller takes on work and faith, and engages both of them together within the context of the marketplace. Framed in three parts, Part One talks about the original intention of God for work. Part Two talks about the fall and how our work has become fruitless, pointless,selfish, and idolatrous. Part Three is about how the gospel redeems the world, and in particular, the world of work and how Christians can make a difference in each of their good endeavours. The  way that Keller adopts is to help readers understand the need to cultivate an environment where our contribution in the work becomes a way we can serve God and people. As we work, we also learn to integrate the respective kinds of work we do, the history of the venture, the biblical insights we can apply to the context, so that we can make a fuller sense of what God is doing through us in the workplace. Work, through the many stages and changes of forms and circumstances then becomes a journey toward a specific destination. Like a fully grown tree, as we work through the leaves and the twigs, to the branches and the trunks, to the highest top and the deepest roots, we let our work tell the story of God working through us, and manifested in the daily things we do. The foreword by Katherine Leary Alsdorf sets the stage for a challenging read.

"I learned great lessons about joy at work, patience and hope, teamwork and truth telling, from a people who didn't share my faith. My staff who went away for a meditation weekend seemed to come back more refreshed than those who worshipped together on Sunday at a Christian evangelical churc. I started to see work as a crucible where God was pounding and grinding and refining me, rather than a place where I was actively and effectively serving him." (13)

In typically Keller's fashion, Keller begins with God. Through Genesis, we learn that God creates the world and cares for it. There is a dignity of work right from the start, only to be tarnished and diminished as sin thwarts the original plan of God. Work then becomes a "necessary evil," and degraded into a mere means toward materialistic pursuits. We need then to see all work as culture making. We see work as an important part of serving the community we live in. Work flows out of our love for God, and we minister and serve with competence, that our end product is a result of much gratitude to God.

Part Two hones in on the various ways that sin has destroyed the original intent for work. Having lost the glory of God, work becomes a fruitless and often despite way of life as sin does its destructive influence. Work becomes cursed. It becomes an aimless endeavour with meaninglessness a middle name in world stuck between good and evil.  Using Ecclesiates as a guide, Keller affirms the need for a redemptive element.  Due to sin, work also becomes a selfish endeavour where people work mainly to make a name for themselves, to climb toward positions of power and influence, and unwittingly allows the setting up of idols in the place of work and in the hearts of people. There are personal idols of comfort and pleasure, as well as corporate idols of self-styled secular ideals, or some kind of moral absolutes that place meaning in the accomplishment of them. Idols of self-realization, individual talents, ambition, hard work. There are postmodern idols of human progress, reason, science, or some kind of a "means without ends" idol. These are idols because they become an end in themselves.

Part Three offers hope in God, through the Gospel and how it redeems work. The gospel introduces a worldview that is totally opposite of what the world offers. Against a world that elevates "self-expression, sexual pleasure, and affluence" as meaning makers, the gospel brings us back to help us see that in ourselves or in themselves, we are nothing. For any worldview to take root, three questions need to be asked.

1. How are things supposed to be?
2. What is the main problem with them as they are?
3. What is the solution and how can it be realized?

Keller then helps with several examples on how the gospel redeems the world of work. In journalism, redemption looks at learning to go beyond fact reporting toward reporting in a manner than brings hope and life. In Higher Education, we learn to create people with "reflective" and responsible citizenship. In the Arts, we learn not to let profits be the primary motivator, but beautiful and optimistic. In Medicine, Keller reminds those in the medical profession that it is easy to feel proud and even arrogant in a noble profession. At the same time, medical professionals can feel uneasy when trying to introduce their work in the spiritual realm. The key is holistic health, learning to care for people as people even when they are trained to solve medical challenges. A new concept of redeemed work is one that involves the inclusive participation of all. It is an exercise of common grace that human beings receive. There is no dichotomy of "Christian" or non-Christian work. All work is work, and all work can be redeemed by God. Due to the limitations of ethics, even Christian ethics, we need a new compass for work. Treat people with dignity. Treat people wisely. Serve with respect and fear of God. Let sincerity of heart drive our initiatives. Do not be ruthless. Be calm during moments of failure. Do not be too quick to take sides and divide the organization.


Despite the many publications, conferences, and courses that teach marketplace theology or faith in the workplace, there is still a growing hunger for matters of spirituality and how a Christian ought to live in the world at large, in particular the office and the workplace. From time to time, many in the secular place of work can become confused or disorientated about God's purpose for them where they are. Such people may even feel more fulfilled when in some form of recognized Christian ministry like Churches, parachurches, or mission-based organizations. Still, there are those in the clergy or the familiar "full-time worker" label, who feels that their parishes or congregation needs to be reminded that all good work is in fact, working for God. There is no need to be distracted or irked by labels. What matters is the way we live for Christ wherever we go. The Ten changes that Keller proposes is worth remembering. Every good endeavor will involve one or more of the following.

1. From individual salvation to a wider understanding that the gospel changes everything, not just our personal lives.
2. From being good to being saved, that our work is an effective working out of our saved state.
3. From cheap grace to costly grace, where we are made aware constantly of our sinful selves
4. From "heaven above" thinking, to Christ present down here on earth
5. From using God as a value-add, to how we can value add to the work of God on earth
6. From building idols in our world, to living for God
7. From disdain for this world to being engage in the world
8. From doing things alone to working as an accepting community
9. From mere "people matter" to recognizing the place of institutions, people, and all that matters
10. From "Christian superiority" to "common grace."

It is hard not to like this book. Keller shines as he distills the wide repertoire of knowledge he has into a powerful reference for understanding God's purpose for work, sin's effect on work, and Christ's redemption of the world, including work. We need to grow in humility, in love, in acceptance, in truth, in justice, and in all things that matter to God. The words, "For God so loved the world," has not, and should not be forgotten. It is because God so loved the world, that we ought to love the world and to live as ambassadors of grace, toward every good endeavour. It is only in Christ, we can bat a good start, make a godly strike, and do a home run. In Christ, all things are possible.


Rating: 5 of 5 stars

conrade

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"Wisdom Meets Passion"

TITLE: Wisdom Meets Passion: When Generations Collide and Collaborate
AUTHOR: Dan Miller and Jared Angaza
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: Thomas-Nelson, 2012, (272 pages).

This book maintains that both wisdom and passion are needed for whatever work we do. It aims to help blend together accomplishing financial goals and creating meaningful work. Wisdom ties everything together, thus the title of the book. Using an intergenerational approach to describe the differences among two generations, the authors themselves each represent one end of the spectrum. Dan represents the "passion" end where stewardship, responsibility and hard work defines their tradition. Jared represents the go-getter generation, daring to breech traditional boundaries in order to fulfill his dream. The focus is not on questioning traditions or perspectives, but on accepting ourselves the way God has accepted and created us to be.

The book begins with a clarion call for readers to dream big. It is one thing to be faithful with what we have. It is yet another, to seek out better future through passion and dreaming. Knowing that there are many who grew up in a conservative tradition, the authors show sensitivity to the culture among the Baby Boomers, and the older generation, recognizing the inner need for some form of security. Gently, the authors point out seven areas in which one can improve and excel in. Areas such as financial, social, personal development, physical, spiritual, family, and career. They acknowledge the level of debt by many families which can easily stifle any desire to achieve one's dreams. That did not stop the authors from teaching ten steps to education, and becoming rich too! In the new generation, traditional barriers are no longer career or dream limiting. With Facebook, internet, and the social media, as long as one can dream, anything is possible. Throughout the book, the emphasis is consistent. Dream big. Attempt big. Live a great life and do not settle simply for a good life.

Chapter 5 offers a theological perspective on work excellence. Develop a passion that is contagious. Chapter 6 probes the identity and destiny. Learn to imagine, to dream, to anticipate, to set realistic goals, to plan, to act, and to realize one's dreams. This book is pure perk-me-up vocational challenge for us to go all out, to dare to dream, and to dare to make that dream a reality. Most importantly, one needs to be crystal clear that it is a path one desires to do. There is no shame in wanting to make more money, only shame if we fail to exercise our talents when God has given us talents.

I am reminded of Mark Twain's famous words.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

This book is another way of showing us how and why. The generation gap is not meant to be a barrier to bridging wisdom of the old with the passion of the new. Instead, it is meant to show us the strengths and weaknesses of both eras, that the best way to move forward is to work together. I like the way the book is summarized through the following:

1. Find your story.
2. Face your fears.
3. Be resourceful without resources.
4. Keep it simple.
5. Build trust.
6. Giving is good business.

The last chapter on work is indeed one of the strongest parts of the book. It also shows us the common ground both traditional as well as the modern generation has in common. Both will reach old age one day. Perhaps, when that day comes, it may very well be too late to regret not fulfilling our dreams. Take this book as an apt reminder that we are called to be the best that we are created to be. No more. No less.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Thomas-Nelson and NetGalley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Review: "The Digital Diet"

TITLE: The Digital Diet: The 4-step plan to break your tech addiction and regain balance in your life
AUTHOR: Daniel Sieberg
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Three Rivers Press, 2011, (272 pages).

Digital addiction. The ubiquitous Internet has led to an insatiable thirst for WiFi, digital information, and an unending need to be connected online. Daniel Sieberg calls this 'tech addiction.' He writes:

"Technology has overwhelmed our daily lives to the point of constant distraction. Many of us can no longer focus on a single task or face-to-face conversation without wanting to reach out - or retreat - to the virtual world every few minutes." (Back cover)

Proposing a four-step strategy to break the digital addiction, Sieberg aims to help readers regain a semblance of human normalcy, to win sensibility back from an online virtual world to an offline reality.

Step 1 is Re:Think. Before one can change, one needs to acknowledge the current condition. Here Sieberg exposes the dangers of being addicted. When one is plugged-in, one essentially checks out of the real world. There is also an unhealthy 'binary binge' where one consumes digital units without regard for one's general physical, mental or emotional health. Using the language of body diets, Sieberg warns us about letting technology 'fog' out our minds, creating an unhealthy 'e-obesity' where we consume technology without observing limits, and other environment problems that result from always on technology devices.

Step 2 is Re:Boot which begins a series of detox steps. He suggests practical steps like putting our gadgets into a box periodically in favour of something old-fashioned. By listing down the different technologies, one starts to distinguish between devices that are for communications and those that are for preparing daily essentials like oven, refrigerators, etc. The key is to give ourselves a fresh start to welcome nature, be open to real people, and to basically detox ourselves from digital madness. Suggestions are also made for discovering our own 'virtual weight index.'

Step 3 is Re:Connect which lists more practical exercises to take. From simple things like gazing at a tree to physical exercises, Sieberg encourages readers to learn to 'subtract' non-essentials. Often, technology contains too many fancy gizmos that we do not really need. Part of this subtraction exercise is to help us differentiate the needs from the wants.

Step 4 is Re:Vitalize. At this point, one is ready to move from an inorganic addiction to a more wholesome and natural organic lifestyle. He ends with ten digital rules to note.

1. Avoid tech turds: by NOT placing our technological gadgets at prominent places, (eg leave phone in your pocket when at a restaurant dinner table.)
2. Live your life in the real world: avoid posting personal updates too readily until you are willing to interact non-digitally with the people in front of you. (eg talk to your companions in front of you more than the distant person on the phone)
3. Ask yourself whether you really need that gadget: not everything digital is a must-have. 
4. Seek tech support: if necessary, outsource the use of the digital device
5. Detox regularly: tackling digital addiction is an ongoing exercise to be done on a regular basis.
6. Sleep device-free: Have a safe haven from the reaches of technology.
7. It's either the human or the device: make an intentional choice of people over gadgets.
8. Remember the 'if/then' principle:  how we treat our digital addiction affects the way we treat the real world.
9. Structure your e-day: plan our daily consumption of technology
10. Trust your instincts: pursuing our ultimate goal in balance and awareness.

My Comments

Manage technology before technology manages us. The longer we stay in addiction, the harder it is to break from it. Learn from those who have experienced technological burn-out. It is important to ensure that we are able to function normally as human beings. For all its wonders, technology cannot fully replicate the way we live as human beings. We cannot hug a computer and feel any emotional warmth. Neither can we build relationships only through an Internet connection. More often, the way to sustaining a positive and fruitful human relationship is to relate at a human level. Recognize that technology can only help us so much. Remember that technology is a tool, not the ultimate. 

This book is practical, helpful, and necessary in an increasingly connected world. Although the book is planned as a 28-day detox program, it can be easily modified to fit our own schedules. The important thing is not the specific steps. The important thing is to recognize the NECESSITY to take a break from our digital world, and to reconnect with people in the real world. Yes, we can Facebook. We can twitter. We can even depend on traditional emails. Yet, the human being cannot be easily digitized. As engineers, scientists, and technologists increasingly try to make the computer behave like a human, if we are not careful, we are in danger of making humans become like a computer. This book is one such book that speaks against this trend. 

Ratings: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

Book Review: "The Roller Coaster of Unemployment"

TITLE: The Roller Coaster of Unemployment: Trusting God for the Ride
AUTHOR: Sarah Hupp
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 2010, (160 pages)

This is a difficult time for many people. The economy is weak. Unemployment is rising. Trust in the government is failing. Hopes for the future are falling. People of faith are trying to hang on. This book is one such resource to encourage people to hang on to hope. Most crucially, it urges readers to hang on to God.

Using the metaphor of a rollercoaster, Hupp accompanies the reader through the proverbial ups and downs of life, the highs and lows, the joy of being employed, and the agony of being laid off. Like the start of a rollercoaster ride, the author begins with 'climbing the heights.' During times of being employed, one tends to become overconfident of job security. One spends time making money, and unwittingly pushes to the background the more important things in life. During such a time, one is vulnerable to sudden changes, especially unexpected ones. Part Two is where the roller coaster of unemployment really makes its presence known. In 'Whoosing down the hill, one faces the distressing emotions of losing a job. More crucially, one's faith gets tested. Failure and fear become dominant and try to usurp the hopes of the retrenched. In Part Three, the journey continues through 'Loop the Loop' where the winding experience plays through anger, discouragement, careless words, and puts one face to face with God. Instead of turning up, Part Four leads the reader through a dark tunnel. Here is where good and bad feelings are mixed together. On the one hand, one looks for God's guidance. On the other hand, there is the human tendency to worry. Yet, in the midst of the confusing signals, there is still an opportunity to do good, to be generous, to be hopeful. Part Five is where the recovery begins. In 'The Bunny Hills,' the author encourages the reader to hang on to hope, that God is looking for us. There are promises of blessings, of encouragement, of God intervening at the right moment. As the rollercoaster ride nears the end, Part Six is where one goes back to the station. The hands that gripped the handrails slowly relax. The thrill has ended. The tough periods are over. It is time to rest in God's providence. In other words, unemployment itself has a definite end. For God is in control.

My Closing Thoughts

This is a very creatively thought out book about encouraging the unemployed with faith and hope in God. With great compassion and understanding, the author literally accompanies the reader through the emotional ride over the entire journey. Beginning with a brief explanation of the phases of employment and unemployment, the Hupp recognizes the spectrum of emotions that arise through each particular phase of the rollercoaster ride. Packed with biblical references, stories of real people, and a helpful checklist for reflection at the end of each chapter, the book is a great companion for people who have been laid off, or looking for a job. More importantly, this book shows the way toward something better than a mere job: Hope.


Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided to me free by Discovery House Publishers and NetGalley without any obligation for a positive review. The opinions above are mine.

Review: "Work Matters"

TITLE: Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work
AUTHOR: Tom Nelson
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011, (213 pages).

The dichotomy between work and faith continues to be a challenge for many. Pious Christians go to Church each Sunday to worship and to rest from work. When Monday comes, how does that act of faith influence the rest of the week? Sadly, many people throughout the world struggle to make the connection. Often, people see weekends as a needed break from dreary work. This book attempts to provide some answers to two big questions:

• Is our faith making a difference in our work?
• Is our work making any difference in the world?

The core conviction of the book is: "Work matters. A lot." Using Os Guinness descriptions of primary calling (to Christ) and secondary calling (to our work), Nelson deals the various aspects of this particular calling. We are created by God with work in mind. Through work, we continue to the productivity in the world. We steward what is given to us. Through work, we worship God.

Unfortunately, sin and the fall of man has disrupted the nature of work. Thus, work can be painful, discouraging, distorted. Some of us work too hard (workaholic). Others work too little (sloth).  For Christians, they differentiate secular work from sacred work, leading to a dualism that is unhealthy. Nelson introduces the idea of the gospel lived out in our work. When redeemed, work is not just satisfying, it transforms self and others. Nelson makes this poignant observation that if the future is bright and glorious, surely present work is more meaningful and purposeful. The key is to grasp the way our present work fits with the future vision.

"I believe Jesus' parable of the talents not only encourages us to gospel readiness, but also encourages us to more seamlessly connect our Sunday faith with our Monday work." (70)

Book Review: "Change Agent"

TITLE: Change Agent: Engaging your passion to be the one who makes a difference
AUTHOR: Os Hillman
PUBLISHER: Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2011.

Os Hillman is most famously known for his daily devotionals, TGIF (Today God is First). Since the early years, he has moved from simply marketplace ministry and work-faith integration to a larger domain. This new domain is a call to believers in the marketplace to engage not only business but to reclaim 7 mountains of cultural influences. They are business, government, media, arts & entertainment, education, the family, and religion. The 7-mountain idea is adapted from his own pastor, Johnny Enlow's series of sermons entitled: "The Seven Mountain Strategy." Basically, the key idea is:

"The more liberal and ungodly the change agents at the top, the more liberal and ungodly the culture. The more godly the change agent at the top, the more righteous the culture will be. It doesn't matter if the majority of the culture is made up of Christians. It only matters who has the greatest influence over that cultural mountain. And the mountain of family must undergird all other cultural mountains."  (9)

The book begins with biblical foundations. The author uses a six stage framework from his own experience and equates them to Old Testament characters like Moses, David, Joseph, Daniel and Esther. The six stages of a change agent are as follows:

1. Divine circumstances: Sudden call
2. Character development: Solidify person's faith
3. Isolation period: Separation from worldliness
4. Personal cross: suffering
5. Problem solvers: solving real needs
6. Networks: spreading

After describing the process of development of a change agent, Hillman dives right into the 7-mountain strategy. Each mountain begins with a definition of what it is, followed by a diagnosis of why the mountain is worldly and needs to be recaptured. With many illustrations and testimonies of well-known names of corporations, groups, and individuals, he shows the way to tip the balance in favour of Christians for the Kingdom of God. He ends each mountain category with an exhortation to claim the mountain in God's name, with practical steps. At the same time, he lists down in vivid detail how a successfully claimed mountain looks like.

My Comments

I read this book with mixed emotions. Hillman starts off well by sharing about how various individuals have been talking about conquering several spheres of culture. Francis Schaeffer, Billy Graham, and many prominent names were mentioned to raise interest. There are many familiar names, powerful figures, and intriguing stories to keep the reader interested. His concern is genuine, and the message is filled with a conviction that the world can be won, and that there is a good chance for change agents to bring about the kingdom of God through conquering the seven mountains. He also acknowledges that these seven mountains are not the only mountains, sharing about Loren Cunningham who suggests a seventh (science) and eighth mountain (technology). The practical applications are easy to follow. The stages described are appealing. The examples given are indeed very captivating.

My biggest problem with the book is its weak ecclesiology (Theology of the Church). For all its wonderful convictions and knowledge of the culture, the theology of the church is sadly lacking. This runs contrary to Jesus's words to Simon Peter about God using the Church to build his kingdom (Matt 16:18). Granted that the church is a community of believers gathered in Jesus' Name, a called out people (ekklesia),  the role of the church is unfortunately relegated to the last chapter, instead of 'undergirding' every attempt to conquer any mountain. Even if I were to give Hillman the benefit of the doubt, that he meant the people of God to be the church, it is not clearly emphasized. It is true that one needs passion to become a change agent to make a difference. It is also true that one needs to be convicted about conquering the mountains in society. However, it needs to be done through the church and in the Power of the Holy Spirit. Another concern is the overwhelming focus on the 'top.' What about the rest? Mind you, God can choose to use anyone, anywhere. 

In summary, this book has a noble purpose. It shines in giving examples even though some of the names given are not as credible over time. It also excels in terms of engaging readers through sections of easy to read stages and illustrations. Ultimately, it disappoints because of a weak theology of the church. It is a para-church implementation of the 7-Mountain strategy that is unsettling.

Rating: 3 stars of 5.

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This book is supplied to me, courtesy of Charisma Publishing House without any obligation for a positive review. The comments made are freely mine.

conrade