{"id":380,"date":"2008-03-12T01:01:12","date_gmt":"2008-03-12T01:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/03\/chuck-colson-visits-markdrobertscom-on-his-blog-tour.html"},"modified":"2008-03-12T01:01:12","modified_gmt":"2008-03-12T01:01:12","slug":"chuck-colson-visits-markdrobertscom-on-his-blog-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/03\/chuck-colson-visits-markdrobertscom-on-his-blog-tour.html","title":{"rendered":"Chuck Colson Visits markdroberts.com on His Blog Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome, Chuck, to markdroberts.com<\/em>. I’m pleased to be able to interact with you about your fine new book The Faith<\/em>. In case you missed it, I put up a positive review of your book yesterday<\/a>. Now, on to the dialogue.
\nMy Question for Chuck on The Faith<\/em><\/strong>
\nChuck, thanks for this concise and compelling summary of Christian faith and its implications for our lives. The Faith<\/em> speaks to the challenges of our world with clarity and incisiveness. I am pleased to recommend it to my constituency.
\nI am the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, an organization founded by Howard E. Butt, Jr. to advance God’s renewal of individuals, families, institutions, and society. One of our core convictions is that Christians can make a major difference in the world by living out their faith at work. You mention opportunities for believers to share the Gospel in the workplace (p. 156), something we encourage as well. But we also see great potential for broader renewal if Christians would only live out their faith holistically in the context of their daily work. In fact, one of our web-based ministries encourages believers to think in terms of The High Calling of Our Daily Work<\/em> (www.thehighcalling.org<\/em>) We want all Christians to understand that they are called to serve the Lord, not only in church-based ministries or through their volunteer activities, but also in their daily work, whether this be in the marketplace, at school, or in the home. Given the breadth and inclusiveness of your vision in The Faith<\/em>, I expect you would agree with this conviction. Would you be willing to suggest various ways one might live out the faith in the context of daily work? What difference could orthodoxy make at work?
\nChuck’s Answer<\/strong>
\nYou are Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence of a great organization, so I am particularly heartened by your very encouraging words about The Faith<\/em>.
\nThe Faith<\/em> is only the latest book I\u2019ve written. I wrote a book entitled How Now Shall We Live? <\/em>in which I devoted chapters to the importance of vocation and calling, and living out our faith in the marketplace. I also wrote a book, co-authored with Jack Eckerd, entitled Why America Doesn\u2019t Work<\/em> in which I again talked about ways of living out the faith in the context of our daily lives. Dorothy Sayers in her book Creed and Chaos<\/em> said what use is it for someone to spend all their time teaching theology if most of the people listening to it spend all of their life in the workplace. She was strong about this, as I\u2019m sure you know, and absolutely right. I agree with her, and have cited her elsewhere.
\nThe Faith<\/em> is not meant to be a complete, comprehensive guide to Christianity and its living. It is merely restating the basic tenets that we all need to agree and center our faith around. But if you look at my other writings you\u2019ll see that I\u2019ve covered this pretty exhaustively.
\nI commend you for what you\u2019re doing.
\nMy Response to Chuck<\/strong>
\nThanks, Chuck, for your kind words about my new ministry at Laity Lodge.
\nYes, I know that one can’t put everything in every book. For those who aren’t familiar with your other writings, let me quote a passage from How Now Shall We Live?<\/em><\/a>, in which you talk specifically about how Christian faith might impact the workplace.<\/p>\n

<\/a>All of this is symptomatic, however, of a more fundamental problem\u2013which is that Americans have lost a sense of a higher purpose for work. In our materialistic culture, work is reduced to a utilitarian function: a means of attaining benefits for this world, this life\u2013whether material gain or self-fulfillment. Work no longer has a transcendent purpose as a means of serving and loving God. No wonder, then, that many are questioning the very meaning of work. As Morrow writes, people today are asking “Is there some inherent worth in work?”
\nThis offers Christians a rich opportunity to make the case that work is truly fulfilling only when it is firmly tied to its moral and spiritual moorings. It is time for the church to reclaim this crucial part of life, restoring a biblical understanding of work and economics. A biblical theology of work should be a frequent subject for sermons, just as it was during the Reformation, when establishing one’s vocation was considered a crucial element in discipleship. Churches should organize classes on business ethics and biblical work principles for those in the workplace. Finally, they should set up programs to help the able-bodied poor become self-sufficient instead of dependent on government welfare. (p. 392)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

(This excerpt comes from the chapter called “The Work of Our Hands,” which includes a broader discussion of work and economics.)
\nChuck, I guess I was hoping you might speak a bit more about how orthodoxy in particular can impact the way Christians live in the workplace. You provide a fine example of this sort of application in Chapter 7 of The Faith<\/em>, which is entitled “God Above, God Beside, God Within.” In your discussion of God’s sovereignty, you write:<\/p>\n

God’s sovereignty over all of creation cannot be denied. No wonder Abraham Kuyper, the great Dutch theologian, said, “There is not a square inch of the whole domain of human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all does not cry out: ‘Mine!'” And, I would add, if Christ cries out “Mine!” then the obligation of Christian people in the Church is to look at all of creation and cry out, “His!” Jesus is Lord over every aspect of life\u2013how we spend our spare time, what we read, how we form our families, the way in which we build neighborhoods, the law, politics, science, music, medicine, and on and on. (p. 106)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The doctrine of God’s sovereignty, therefore, leads to a powerful transformation in how we think about all of life, in which our work takes up a majority of our waking hours. Though we might work for “the company” or “the boss,” in a very real sense we work for the Lord. I wonder what difference it would make if we saw our work from the perspective of God’s sovereignty over all things.
\nLet me cite one more example of ways orthodoxy might impact ones life at work. You affirm that orthodoxy includes a commitment to the sanctity of life (Chapter 12). You relate this to several issues: unborn human life, Christian humanism, slavery, women’s status, special-needs children, and genetic engineering. All of this is right on target. But I wonder how a profound commitment to the sanctity of all human life might also be played out in the workplace. Wouldn’t it tend to modify or minimize the class distinctions so common in corporations? Wouldn’t it call forth a new approach to personnel practices? Might it not transform the way people relate to their bosses? Or the way bosses relate to their employees?
\nThese are some of the things I wondered about as I read The Faith<\/em>, which is a strong and engaging statement of what orthodox Christianity is and why it matters. Thanks, Chuck, for writing this book, and for visiting my markdroberts.com<\/em> on your blog tour.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome, Chuck, to markdroberts.com. I’m pleased to be able to interact with you about your fine new book The Faith. In case you missed it, I put up a positive review of your book yesterday. Now, on to the dialogue. My Question for Chuck on The Faith Chuck, thanks for this concise and compelling summary…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holy-week-easter"],"yoast_head":"\nChuck Colson Visits markdroberts.com on His Blog Tour - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=380"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}