kept going, oh so happy when my dad Indeed, God himself is described as work- “go to work” to earn money for the
would move over without complaint to ing in the six days of Creation. necessities and desires of life. Ironically,
my row to help me catch up. As I grew, I “And on the seventh day God finished home is also a place from which to
developed my own understanding of the work that he had done, and he rested on escape; there’s just too much work to be
work: it is good; it is hard; it is a way of the seventh day from all the work that he done there. We live in our recreation—
proving myself a man. Some would say I had done” (v. 2, NRSV). sports, entertainment, vacations, and so
became a workaholic, ever striving to Let me suggest that work is an essen- forth—or so we think. When stuck at
establish my worth through productivity. tial characteristic of God’s design for home we vicariously escape to exotic
(Who doesn’t teach full-time, pastor a human existence. Work was to be an worlds through the marvel of television,
church, garden, raise cattle, and blog?) As extension of an honored position; it was the Internet, or video games.
much as I admire the courage, strength, to be an act of stewardship; it was to be Labor has long been an instrument of
and dedication of my father, I now wish I an expression of worship. oppression wielded against the power-
had learned more of the beauty and It is sin that destroys our ability to less—think Egypt’s bondage or Southern
rhythm of work from my grandfather. know and be known, to live and work plantations or modern sweatshops. Such
Almost always overlooked, work is a together in unity. It is grace that instills a abuse dehumanizes by reducing the
major theme of Creation. In chapters 1 longing to return to the Garden, to find worker to an object, a resource, a tool for
and 2 of Genesis, humans alone were cre- ourselves restored in wholeness of person- someone else’s purposes. This perversion
ated by God with the unique of socioeconomic systems
trait that they were formed in inhibits meaningful relation-
His image. Theologians have ships and the development of
long debated exactly what that personal interests and abilities.
means, for example, reason, It is the product of sin and
moral judgment, regal authority. robs God of the glory of His
My own conclusion is that it creation.
includes these and other dimen- In modern times these sys-
sions of human life, but at the tems have perverted our self-
heart of the matter is the plural consciousness. Never before
but singular nature of God and have we so thoroughly defined
humanity: God said, “Let us our worth not by what we con-
make man” (1:26). P.K. Jewett, tribute but by what we collect,
the late New Testament scholar, not by what we do but by what
expressed it this way: “To be we avoid doing. One day, in a
human is to be male or female: graduate course on the Gospel
male and female.” Adam and Eve were hood and of relationships, to fulfill our of Luke, a student raised his hand to ask,
each fully human, but neither fulfilled purpose for being. It is judgment that “Dr. Tenney, could you help me under-
what it meant to be human. Their nature marks the journey back to the divine stand which day is the Sabbath, Saturday
and purpose could only be fulfilled order with thorns and the sweat of our or Sunday? On which of those days are
together. Of all creatures, only humans brow. Judgment leads to mercy. we supposed to rest?” The quintessential
are equipped (in the image of the eternal For the followers of Christ, work gentleman, Dr. Merrill C. Tenney
Trinity) to know as they are known, to affords the opportunity to share now in responded, “It is interesting how you
see themselves truly in the eyes of anoth- our future and intended state. Work done asked that question. In my nearly 50
er. Thus, to be human is to be created (1) in fellowship with Christ and others years of teaching, it is always asked that
by God, (2) in the image of God, (3) as renews the soul by giving expression to way—‘On what day should we rest?’ No
relational beings, (4) to share in the glory our truest nature. It is a down payment of one has ever asked the opposite: ‘On
and purposes of God. To be fully human our future state; it is the field of our ser- what days should we work?’ Let me
is to glorify God in our existence, in our vice, the chalice of our fellowship, the remind you, the commandment begins
relationships, and in the work we do. promise of our hope, the opportunity to with the words ‘Six days thou shalt work.’
As God intended human existence to bask in the glory of God. Through Christ Now that is the better question.”
be, work is a beautiful thing. We were cre- our worship in work reflects back to God
ated for work. Well before the fall into the beauty of His image and the glory of
Jackie David Johns is profes-
sin, Adam (and later, Eve) was placed in His creation.
sor of discipleship and Christ-
the Garden to tend to it. “The Lord God We live in an age when for many, if
ian formation at the Church of
took the man and put him in the garden not most people, work is a four-letter
God Theological Seminary.
of Eden to till it and keep it” (2:15, NRSV). word. Detached from our “real” lives, we
EVANGEL • MAR 2009 19
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36