Work

Andrew's paper was called 'Don't give up on your day job: Toward a theology of work'. I took fairly comprehensive notes which I'm a little hesitant to write down in case I got something wrong. But I don't think I did. Andrew said that the Bible speaks about work in five significant ways:

1. Ontological. God is a worker. We are by nature workers. Work is about making order from chaos. When we work: we do a good thing; we honour God by imitating him and we bear witness about the sort of God that he is.
2. Instrumental. Work can be used to achieve good things.
3. Relational. Work can bring justice and mercy to people.
4. Arena for worship. In this new covenent age, we are God's temple, and wherever we are (including at work) can be a place for worship.
5. Arena for receiving gifts. Ecclesiates says that working to gain things for yourself is very toilsome. However working to receive gifts is enjoyable and not as toilsome. [I can't fully recall this last point.]