More Fully Human Work

Work takes many different forms. 

Some people are paid, some are self-employed, some do voluntary work, some are full time students, some are retired and can never understand how they ever had time to go to work.  For many their work is home based looking after family or acting as carers.  Some are ‘out’ of work or searching for work.  Some are unable to do a job and their work is getting through the day.

At After Sunday we are keen to support people in all sorts of work and to help them to explore their faith in whatever they do creatively and however they fill their time.

Work takes up a lot of our time.  It forms our identities.  We often ask when we meet a stranger – ‘What do you do?’  Work defines us.  When we lose our work we can also loose our identities.

Work can also be the greatest source of our creativity and many of the communities that we belong to are based around our work. It can be a source of deep joy and can bring out the very best of our potential.

Work can also be a source of deep frustration and stress.  It can be dehumanising and degrading.  Pressure and bullying are commonplace.  Many workplaces face a serious breakdown of trust and strained relationships.  Many people feel they spend too much time at work and worry about ‘work-life’ balance.

But work is man made and is constantly changing.  Look at the technological leaps of the past century.  Work in whatever form it takes should be a prime concern for people of faith.  It is part of God kingdom interest and as the creator God he is deeply involved in what we do. 

Work needs to be redeemed and humanised and this is part of our work through After Sunday.  Why don’t you start or join in a discussion on The Forum and share your views and hopes for work.

We explore many of these ideas more fully in the After Sunday Course module called After Sunday into Monday.