How to get up and go to work with God - Ruth Walker

I remember back in 1994, I was about to return to work after maternity leave, and I recall, still vividly, the voice in my mind which kept asking, "Why are you doing that?"  The competition in my mind seemed unfair - on the one hand all the fulfilment of being involved in a new life, to be part of shaping that potential,  and  on the other hand the fulfilment of going back to an interesting and challenging senior role in Marketing and Communications.   But even if my future career seemed pretty good, I recognised that I wouldn't be able to remain involved in Christian service if I was to have quality family life. I was disturbed that I would no longer be able to serve God as I had before.

It was not until 2003 that my epiphianic moment arrived at a Mission Scotland event where Mark Green of LICC was teaching that God was actually interested in what I did in work.   Suddenly the lights were turned on for me - what I did at work mattered, absolutely mattered.   Colossians 3 v17 we read: Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 

I learned from the robust theology of work presented that day what value God was placing on work. It is one of the few places where we know people of all ages and types and interests from 18 - 65.  Many of them think that church the institution is bizarre, culturally irrelevant and that Christians are bigots or bonkers. Yet because of the relationships we have, we are able to show people what Christians are really like, what Jesus is really like.  Work is a great opportunity to be part of people's lives, and to build relationships. And every day, because we share work experiences and work culture, we are culturally relevant. We have the opportunity to be "normal" with them. 

We have an opportunity demonstrate the love and relevance of Christ.  God has put you there in your workplace as his representative.

Yet the story of workplace ministries has not stopped developing - in fact it's only one facet of a growing awareness dawning on Christians, who are re-discovering that there is no need to feel restricted to serving God only through church programmes.  There is workplace, leisure, community and more!  Whole-of-life mission and whole-of-life discipleship for the 21^st Century is something that Mission Scotland is placing under the spotlight.    There is nothing new in saying that discipleship is whole-life - every Christian instinctively knows that - but it's simply true to see that we have maybe lost the skills or the theology or the expectation that we can be effective at mission and discipleship in exactly the contexts we live and work and play in, every day. 

Mission Scotland has invited Bishop Graham Cray, who is a leading thinker in this area, to hold a series of conferences entitled "21^st Century Disciples".  To anyone who is wondering why they can get up and go to work for God tomorrow morning then this is a conference for you.  To anyone who wants to hear the theology around this or who wants to understand the sociology of our culture in order to make a difference as Christian in Scotland then this is for you.    

The next conference is being held in Glasgow on 19^th June 2010. More information and booking can be found on www.missionscotland.org.uk or by contacting sarahjane.biggart@missionscotland.org.uk