Marc Proctor
From New Hope Church
17 July 2009 - 6:39pm
I’ve been thinking about how I overspiritualize things. For me it is especially pertinent to careers and big life decisions, but it applies to smaller things too. I honestly can say I view reading my bible as a more spiritual activity than cleaning the dishes. Or that being a worship pastor is more spiritual than being an architect. The grounds I have for these judgments is truly superficial. I look at the outward appearance to figure if it’s spiritual or not. Since I truly do value the spiritual aspect of my life (for many reasons), it can create a tension between “normal” and “spiritual” things. Like, I’d rather be a pastor than an architect (even though it doesn’t make sense), or I feel I should read the bible instead of do the dishes (even though the dishes need to be done). What motivates me to do these things come from good intentions. I want to grow in my individual understanding of God and contribute positively to those around me.
If you’ve been in church, I’m sure the phrase “do all things unto the Lord” has gone into your head in some shape or form, as it has gone into mine. People say “the plumber is no more spiritual than the pastor,” and point vaguely to the “spiritual results” of the plumbers excellence in plumbing. Then they kind of downplay the pastoral role, which produces obvious “spiritual results.” My problem of overspiritualization starts there. See these same people (the plumber vs. pastor people) will also say how amazing a church service was, that it glorified God so much etc… but no one talks about how amazing a plumbing job was, or how it glorified God in so unique and profound a way etc. What is one to think? Surely the plumber looses (spiritually speaking). So, those who wish to grow in, and contribute to the work of God feel this strong inclination towards pastoral, “churchy” work; And so they should, as I have, if they are well meaning and logical people, its where the “spiritual results” come from!
Two passages of the bible have been lingering in my mind. They’ve challenged how I approach things, goals, objectives, decisions… those sorts of things. One is kind of spread out in Daniel. Amidst the ridiculous things that happen to Daniel and his friends there is the mention of the “mundane” everyday routines, Daniel must have been pretty ordinary, a plumber of sorts; check these verses out,
1. 1:21 (Daniel just went about life for 1 year)
2. 2:48-49(Daniel applies for a job, kinda-sorta, and again went about life)
3. Daniel 5 (They nearly forgot who Daniel was. Bet he was living a rather ordinary life while power shifted hands.)
4. Daniel 6 (The only way to accuse Daniel was in the ordinary, every day, minor details of life…)
5. Daniel 8:27 (He got better and attended to his job, going about the kings business…)
The other passage is 1 Thess. 4:11-12 and is a bit more blatant.
So what of the mundane things we do everyday. Do they produce “spiritual results” that are to be desired as much as pastoral work etc.? Honestly, I’m still working through it. The definition of how to be spiritually minded is delicately interwoven into everyday life such a peculiar way. As if God works quite comfortably with the ordinary. What do you think?
paulrobertson
From St Silas, Glasgow
18 July 2009 - 12:30pm
Hi Marc,
Yeah I've spent some time trying work through some of those issues.
My take on it is this:
1) The spiritual/non-spiritual dischotomy is false. The Mosiac law covered every aspect of life - personal moral, relational, ritual, practical. This holistic approach is I think reinforced by Jesus and the NT writers.
2) Work, in and of itself, is part of God's mission for the world. Our cultural mandate in Genesis to fill and subdue the world implies that work is a pre-fall activity that has been made frustrating by the fall. The fall has aslo meant there is more "work" to do to bring about order. God's mission is to bring order and resoration to creation, and we are called to participate with him in that. Therefore the plumber or the architect can legitimately view their work as spiritual. Similarly with household chores - by doing your dishes you are working with God to bring order to the small part of creation you have been given responsibility for.
I'd recommed "The heavenly good of earthly work" by Darrell Cosden for a fuller unpacking of those ideas.
I wonder if Jesus made more pieces of furniture than He spoke parables?
Does it matter if He did? He was aware of His place in the everyday world, as well as His Father's business.
Between the finding in the temple and the baptism in the Jordan, there lies the guts of 25 years of - presumably - normailty. So normal and ordinary that it wasn't worth documenting for posterity (or hasn't survived).
God needs good architects and plumbers in His kingdom too - just ask any pastor who's main has burst thanks to a poor church design lol
Yep, God uses all things to His glory - and the ordinary deeds or people can be transformed into extraordinary ones when He's onboard :D
http://laurencemurray.blogspot.com
God has challenged me with this.
Wash up like you are playing your guitar and play your guitar like you are washing up.
Finding joy in the mundane everyday circumstances of life has proven to be some of the most profound break through times in worship. I am not much better at playing the guitar but you should see me wash up!!!
Keep pressing in!
"Wash up like you are playing your guitar and play your guitar like you are washing up."
Hah, nice one! That quote will stay with me for a while yet :-)
Great honest thoughts Marc as always! I guess it boils down to God can and will use anyone in any situation, and we have to be open to that fact and as a result be prepared, ready and willing for him to work whatever we're doing.
What this has challenged me most about apart from the above is my almost subconscious underestimating of God's powers. Things like "of course God will always work through a pastor giving a sermon far more than an electrician replacing a light switch" spring to mind, but there's no reason why this needs to be the case. Thinking about it I really don't believe God's fussy in that respect - there's far too much at stake, there's lives to be saved for eternity and who knows how much time is left to do it... it's no wonder that God can and will work through anything and everything!
As much as this is a challenge though I also believe it should be an encouragement to everyone *not* working in a profession directly attributed to the church. God's help and encouragement and works aren't limited to being carried out through church staff members - he'll gladly work through any of us wherever we are. And yes, that sounds a bit like a cliche and something we all hear from day one at sunday school, but for me anyway the realisation of that fact isn't one that's always immediately obvious.
P.S. Marc, look a post from me that doesn't fill up an encyclopedia! Aren't you proud? :-P
I am so glad we have got electricians to change the light switches in the church or I wouldn't be able to see the music stand.
The funniest thing about learning to wash up with the same joy as playing the guitar is that God gave me a job for three years in a fish mongers washing up. Try singing for joy with a face full of fish scales!!
Michael I pray that you will have an increase in anointing to flick the swicthes for His glory!
God bless our production and PA teams!!! ;0)
Hey guys! Not had much time to be involved with the forum lately. I do miss it though! Totally get your thoughts on this, it is actually encouraging to think about!
Paul, ill give that book a read, will probably have to order it online.
My best to you all!
Everything we do for God is worship. I'm a freelancer doing a mix of youth work, tv and media production. I've worked for 'Christian' companies/ charities before as well as 'normal' ones.
For me, worship lately has been giving the best I can to the young people I've been working with. At the moment our team has been working with young people across Englad who have been making films about issues in their local communites. The films have been amazing and the level of creativity has blown me away. I guess my prayer is that the young people will question where their creativity comes from , as we know it's ultimately the Creator, but maybe they havent discovered that yet.
If anyone wants to come and share this celebration of creativity, there is going to be a free event at the BFI (British Film Institute) on November 28th with film screenings (the films have been made by 16-25's) and creative workshops.
So thanks for the post thread that got me thinking. The Spirit is central to all we do as followers of The Way, so let us tune into that in our work days, and whatever form our worship takes, let us celebrate the Creator.
We had a sermon on 'monotony' yesterday that basically looked at this kind of thing... about how our lives often seem mundane and ordinary, but that those things are just as necessary as the 'highs' of spiritual life. Jesus spent a lot of time in obscurity, being a carpenter, before being involved in what seems like roller-coaster spiritual ministry...
My husband observed at the end of the meeting that monotony really is defined by perspective. What we find monotonous (usually the boring, repetitive stuff), in God we call 'faithfulness'! (His mercies are new every morning etc.) So perseverance and faithfulness are the positive sides of routine stuff.
One verse which always encourages me that all we do is valuable is "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men " (Col 3:23). I also strongly agree that the spiritual/secular dichotomy is false. There needs to be congruence in our lives, a sense of wholeness that everything we do is for God.
wot crackes me up iswhen people give their testiomoies.soz..cant spell, and start soing on about how i used to go dancin, be out every night, drinkin, smokin, drugs, women, life of sin..and then they say...then i became a christian...and there is ALWAYS an apparant lack of fun any more in their voice! Im sure it isn't really the case, but our pastor used to get very excited tellin us how he was the best dancer at his local night club,,,thenn he wud get very serious head on and go...ooooo dont do that any more.....whatever!!! I think god wants us all to have fun and worship with all you got really,,that it.x
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