This document discusses finding balance between work and rest for STEM professionals from a theological perspective. It explores the meaning of the Sabbath and how it relates to work, leisure, busyness and calling. The Sabbath is meant as a time for play, peacemaking and prayer rather than cessation of activity. Discerning one's calling involves understanding their passions, skills and how they can contribute to God's kingdom. Both work and leisure are gifts from God when practiced appropriately.

1.  Theology of Work
Finding Balance at Work

2. In this session we will learn the following:
1. The Meaning of the “Sabbath”
2. Characteristics of the Sabbath for STEM professionals
3. Working life of STEM professionals
4. Historical Perspectives on “Work”
5. Leisure and Busyness
6. Calling and Vocation

3. The Sabbath had many meanings:
1. It was a law---Ex 20:8-11, fulfilled by Jesus in Mk
2:28
2. It was a gift---the celebration of creation and
redemption, “a blessing”: Gen 2:3, Ex 10:8-11; Dt
5:12-15
3. It was a vocation/calling---God himself rests, Gen
2:2
4. It was a sacrament of time---a sign, Ex 31;12-13,
17

4. 5. It was a metaphor of Salvation: Heb 4;9, Matt
11:28
6. It was a prophecy of hope, in the new Heaven
and new Earth, Rev. 21-22. It is a chance to
“play heaven”.
In this sense, it involved:
Play
Peace-making
Prayer

5. The Sabbath was not intended as the cessation
of activity, but the culmination of it, in its
purest, more worshipful, most creative form.
The six days flow into the Sabbath and the
Sabbath stirs the ground and replenishes the
soil for the growth of the next six days.

6. Indeed, Adam and Eve experienced the Sabbath
after their creation and prior to their work. It is
also the gestation, the creative pause, not unlike
the nine months that a fetus grows and develop
prior to biological birth.
The work of birth and subsequent infant activities
are a culmination of the “sabbath rest”, essential
for healthy work later.
In other words, Sabbath precedes and is the
impetus to work as well as the fulfillment of work
It is not the reward at the end of work.

7. Anna is described as a six year “theologian,
mathematician, philosopher, poet and
gardener.” Her life and death are told
charmingly in this book by Fynn. Her
insights dovetail with the understanding of
the Sabbath presented here.

8. Anna: “What was God’s greatest creative act? It
was the seventh day---course it was---the
seventh day. . . No, he made rest. . . Yes,
that’s the biggest miracle. Rest is. . . When
he was finished making all the things. Mister
God had undone all the muddle. Then you
can rest, so that’s why rest is the very , very
biggest miracle of all. Don’t you see? . . . You
have to have a muddle in your head before
you really know what rest is.” pp. 131-132

9. Perhaps, as Anna suggests, we need to absorb the
“muddle” of God’s creative powers of the six days
of the week that will make our subsequent work
meaningful
For those in the STEM professions, there is often a
religious gestation of musing, of brooding in the
deeper questions of life that ultimately stirs the
creative juices that follow into a lifestyle of work.
This is a “formative” sabbath that impels all
subsequent work.

10. 1. A sense of awe in the face of natural processes.
2. An appreciation of beauty in the designs of nature
3. A spirit of curiosity that begs for answers
4. An admission of humility in the face of infinity
5. A thirst for transcendence to reach beyond what is seen
6. A passion for creativity that desires to form something new
7. An itch to make a significant contribution to the quality of life
in general

11. After the gestation period of “rest” or of
Sabbath in our imagined “Eden”, then one
plows into Work.
Here are some suggestions adapted from the
Lausanne Documents, Lausanne Publication,
Marketplace Ministry, Occasional Paper No. 40
that might describe those engaged in the STEM
professions:

12. STEM Christians can . . .
1. Expand their understanding of spiritual disciplines to
include activities more often associated with the
everyday.
2. Reclaim aspects of their work as spiritually significant
when they see what they do as a reflection of God.
3. Find support and fellowship in naming and responding
to the presence of God in their work by linking up with
other Christians in similar professions or fields of work.

13. The gathered STEM people of God can reclaim their workplaces as a nexus
for God’s presence in the following ways:
1. By bringing everyday life experiences into the Sunday worship
experience.
2. By celebrating the skills and gifts of their workplaces.
3. By providing places and relationships of accountability.
4. By providing preaching and teaching relevant to life in the STEM
world.
5. By providing pastoral support for those engaged in the STEM
professions.
6. By taking “church” to the workplace.

14. Much of Christian history tilts against Work as being
something unspiritual. It prioritized “spiritual
contemplation” or “service to others” as superior to labor of
other kinds.
As such it demeaned Work, ranked jobs in pecking order of
usefulness, or dismissed its eternal purpose altogether.
Other religious groups such as the Puritans ennobled Work
but oftentimes removed spontaneity and play outside of its
domain.
Both positions are wrong.

15. It was commonly believed that spirituality was incompatible with the world
of Work. A Lausanne statement describes the two “realms”, both during
the Middle Ages and today
The Spiritual Realm The World of Work
Withdrawal Engagement
Solitude Community
Silence Noise
Stillness Movement
Serenity Chaos
Simplicity Complexity
Meditation Multi-tasking
Order Interruption
Centered Scattered
Focused Busyness
Seriousness Humorous
Quietness Raised Voices

16. By the 17th century, the influence of the Puritans
was profound. They codified “leisure” with the
following components:
To them leisure had to be. . .
1. Lawful
2. Reputable
3. Profitable
4. Glorifying to God
5. Refreshing to bodies and minds
6. Efficient and moderate in time and affections
(Ryken, 207) see Phil 4:8.

17. The period of the “Enlightenment”, that is the 18th
and 19th centuries, depending on where one is
evaluating, saw the Enlightenment secularize the
Protestant work ethic into a creed for personal
success, with Benjamin Franklin leading the
cheerleaders.
Adam Smith, in his Wealth of Nations, says: “It is
not from the benevolence of the butcher, the
brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner.
But from their regard to their own interest. We
address ourselves, not to their humanity but to
their self-love.” (Ryken, 71)

18. The Industrial Revolution produced a whole new
reality about work: the monotony of tasks, the
inability to see work’s results personally, the
denial of satisfaction, depersonalization,
anonymity in the work process, loss of pride, etc.
This produced a contrary reaction as seen in the
emergence of Karl Marx: “A class must be
formed which . . . Is the dissolution of all classes,
a sphere of society which has a universal
character because its sufferings are universal. . .
This dissolution of society. . . is the proletariat.”

19. During the Technological Age of the 20th
century, work has often devolved into
meaninglessness.
The worker is often powerless, isolated and
self-estranged. (Ryken, 47)

20. On the other hand, the 20th century has often
been labeled, the “Age of Leisure”.
1. Leisure has become secularized.
2. There is a decreasing amount of time for
genuine leisure. “The amount of genuine
leisure is generally in inverse proportion to
the amount of labor-saving machinery it
employs.” (E F Schumacher in Ryken 51).

21. The intense busyness of the 20th and 21st
century worker can be described in the
following ways:
 Full calendars
 Professionalization of childhood
 Working longer and harder
 More things and more encumbrances
 Increasing complexity and regulation of
corporate life
 Guilt feelings when inactive
 Competition with associated workers

22. “Work . . . Is the great narcotic that enables people
to suppress many of their anxieties, the place
where they can hide themselves from their own
inner fears. It is an environment that favors the
bureaucracy of work and action, or busyness
simply for the sake of being kept busy. It is
unreflective of the real issues of the life and
death of the soul of man.”
“Do the Works of Man Secularize the Service of
Christ? Interchange, p. 59.

23. The term “leisure” comes from “licere”, to be
permitted:
The problems of “leisure are these:
1. Compartmentalization: It cuts generationally,
i.e. youth is all study; mid age, all work,
retirement, all play.
2. Ambivalence: Within the Christian community,
leisure and play are uncomfortably accepted
while workaholism is considered a religious
virtue.

24. Additional Failures to Experience Meaningful
Leisure:
3. Because both parents work outside of the
home, often genuine leisure is squelched.
4. There is the loss of a sense of vocation that
appropriately might include leisure and play.
5. Leisure has become so commercialized that one
has to work hard to finance play.

25. G. K. Chesterton suggests that healthy non-work,
or leisure opens the door to freedom:
1. Freedom to do something, i.e. hobbies and
recreation.
2. Freedom to do anything, i.e. the automobile
originally was more of a plaything.
3. Freedom to do nothing. This opens the door
to creative “brooding”, meditation, alternate
realities.

26. Leisure, appropriately expressed should. . .
 Provide Diversion
 Provide Relaxation and Rest
 Personally Restore Oneself
 Be Transformative

27. A Biblical Theology espouses a proper
understanding of Leisure:
1. It gives a mandate to enjoy God’s creation (Gen
1:31).
2. It offers us grace, in that it reminds us to not
take ourselves too seriously.
3. It remind us that “time” is not a commodity but
rather, a gift. Therefore, we avoid the
compulsiveness of our personalities. We learn
to “savor” time, rather than let time govern us.

28. Gen. 3:6 reminds us that there are temptations in
leisure at three levels:
 Godless sensuality (“good for food”), to nurture
oneself in inappropriate ways.
 Godless aesthetic (“delight to the eyes”), to
delight in those things that contaminate the
spirit.
 Godless experience (“desired to make one wise”),
to experience that which was not intended for us.

29.  A quotation by St Augustine reminds us of
the boundaries of leisure:
 “. . . No one ought to be so leisured as to take
no thought for the interest of his neighbor,
nor so active as to feel no need for the
contemplation of God.” Meilander, 132.

30. Here are some practical suggestions in programming appropriate
leisure in your life:
1. Understand your own leisure style and needs (Are you
compulsive? Passive?)
2. Choose free time over more pay
3. Embrace both leisure and the Sabbath
4. Choose edifying leisure over debilitating pleasures
5. Choose leisure that expresses family values
6. Discover solitary leisure that is personally restorative

31. "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God the Father through Him." (Col. 3:17)
All work matters to God! That work will either
honor God or dishonor Him.
There is no “neutral” work! One works either
with God or against God. Work which is
merely “putting in the time”, is work that
“works” against God and His purposes.

32. As said earlier, “Vocation” is a Calling. And who is doing the
“calling”. Is it your own . . .
intuition?
desires?
understanding of others’ expectations?
means to a wealthy and comfortable lifestyle?
easiest option?
aptitude or skill?

33. Or is it God who calls, but may be confirmed by
aptitude, desire, skills, or available options?
1. For there to be a “callee”, there must be a
CALLER
2. Before we are called to do something, we are
called to SOMEONE
3. The “Calling” of God is COMPREHENSIVE, and
involves the whole of life

34. 4. ALL OF GOD’S PEOPLE ARE CALLED under the New
Covenant, not just prophets, priests and princes.
There is not a single instance in the New Testament of
a person being called to a societal occupation,
rather to “follow me” without any sense of the
implications of that.
There is not a single instance of a person being called
to be a “religious professional”. The criteria for
church leadership is not a “secret call” but rather
the qualification of character (1 Tim 3; Tit 1)

35. God guides one into vocation in a variety of ways:
1. By His Word---Scripture tells us how to live (Prov. 1:5)
2. By His providential ordering of our lives
3. By endowing us with gifts and talents
4. By enabling us to exercise sound judgment and wisdom (Acts
15:38; 6:3; 15:36; 20:16; Rom 1:10-13; 1 Cor 16:4-9; 2 Cor
1:5-2:4)
5. By motivating us uniquely, giving us passion
6. By the direct leading of the Spirit

36. Vocational Discernment is one of the most
neglected ministries of the Church.
1. It is never merely individual self-assessment
(introspection) but involves corporate
affirmation (the Biblical suggestion of two or
three witnesses)
2. It involves self-knowledge, listening to the
voice of God, discerning the leading of the
Spirit
3. It is a process that lasts a lifetime

37. Vocational Discernment necessarily involves. . .
1. Motivation
2. Talents and Gifts
3. Personality
4. Negative Constraints
5. Blocks/Dysfunctionalities
6. Direct Leading of the Lord

38. Tom Bassford of “Significant Matters” has
presented to us a visual way of looking at
what he calls, the “sweet spot”. This is found
in the Materials section. Examine it carefully.
It shows the convergence of three circles:
1. My Passion
2. My Significant Matter
3. My Skills and Experience

39. One’s “Passion” includes not necessarily the
items Bassford suggests. Rather, the
passion is born of the reality of need, and the
burning desire to make a contribution, to
change things, to be a transformational
agent.
Passion comes from both the leadership of
God, and the awareness of need around

40. “My Significant Matter” is where I find
affirmation, self-realization, a comfort level
of meaning and purpose, a sense of “this is
what I was made for”.
This is discovered by engagement in a variety
of situations that a person willing puts
himself or herself into.

41. John Perkins’ interpretation of the Lord’s
Prayer:
“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven”.
The Will of God is that we identify with the
Kingdom that is coming, rather than wait
around to be zapped by some mystical divine
revelation. In other words, find where the
Kingdom is happening and go to work there.

42. God has implanted in us certain native
aptitudes that experience can develop and
mature. It is important to give God the
broadest range of experiences to release
latent aptitudes and skills. To limit or fail to
experiment, may suppress gifts that God has
given so that they never develop.

43. “Up to the age of 30, or beyond it, poetry of
many kinds gave me great pleasure. I have
also said that formerly pictures gave me
considerable, and music very great, delight.
But now for many years I cannot endure to
read a line of poetry. I have also almost lost
my taste for picture or music. My mind seems
to have become a kind of machine for
grinding general laws out of large collections
of facts.”

44. One may find his or her personal calling or
“sweet spot” through the following:
1. Pray continually to be in constant
communion with God
2. Gather information about yourself, your
passions, your interests, your central
motivations, possible occupations through
reading, inventories, interviews, personal
meditation, journal-keeping

45. 3. Engage selected believers who know you well in
the process of discernment.
4. Clarify your own general and particular calling,
its comprehensiveness and the sense of
“oughtness” or “I was made for this” in a
particular direction, or more likely in more
than one possible direction.
5. Consider the negatives and positives, those
who would be advantaged or disadvantaged by
this decision, as well as constraints (finances,
health, family responsibilities)

46. 6. Take time. If the decision must be made
immediately, it may be only a stop-gap fill-in.
7. If you are married, seek God’s leading and
discuss and pray until you have unity, as both
are affected by your decision. God’s goal is
not to “get the job done as quickly as possible”
but to create unity. “If it is not God’s will for
both of us, it is probably not God’s will, no
matter how much one spouse believes he or
she has God’s guidance”.

47. 8. Be open to supernatural guidance through
prophetic words, visions, dreams, definite
transcendental messages from God. But do
not demand this for decision-making.
9. When you have decided, do not look back.
If you have made a mistake, God will show
you this and may either redeem the
mistake, incorporating it into his revised
plan for you, or move you forward.

48. “The kind of work God usually calls you to, is
the kind of work that you most need to do
and the world most needs to have done. . .
Thus, the place God calls you is the place
your deep gladness and the world deep
hunger meet.”

49. Work is made meaningful by the appropriate
balance between active engagement in Work,
experience qualitative Sabbath, and times of
leisure.
To determine one’s calling, there is often a
gestation period in one’s life, of brooding,
experimenting, testing—a preparatory Sabbath
that ultimately will bring together a
convergence into that “Sweet Spot” in one’s
life.

50. Feel free in insert below your questions and
feedback on what you have learned in this
PowerPoint:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

51. End of Session Five