Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles

• Why Do We Practice Sabbath Rest on Sundays? In this video, Megan Hill explains why Christians worship and rest on the first day of the week instead of the last.
• Daily Vigilance for Lifelong Productivity. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question “Pastor John, I admire you. I look at your life, this podcast, the books you have written, the sermons you have preached, and the way you seem to use every minute for God’s glory. I want that. But I cannot have it right now. We have two little ones at home and I feel like I am constantly fighting off distractions just so I can get the bare minimum done. I read productivity books, but I feel like a sluggard compared to you. How do you stay urgent, Pastor John? How do you manage the daily grind without losing your passion?”
• Called to Lead. My book Called to Lead: Living and Leading for Jesus in the Workplace is available in both a paperback and Kindle edition. Read a free sample (Introduction through Chapter 2).

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

• More links to interesting articles
• The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
• Faith and Work Book Review ~ The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh, with Steve Jamison and Craig Walsh
• Quotes from the book Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work by Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels

• A Leader Worth Following. My book A Leader Work Following: 40 Key Leadership Attributes and Applications to Master is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. Read a sample of the book (found under the book cover in the above link).
• Neither Burnout Nor Sloth: Honoring Christ in Our Work. David Bahnsen writes “Christians can shun the undesirable elements of burnout culture without throwing away hard work and a commitment to vocational excellence.”
• Remember the Sabbath: Four Reminders for Achievement Addicts. Kelly Needham writes “Jesus made it clear that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). A day of rest is not another performance box to check. Quite the opposite, it seeks to convince us that we don’t need to do anything at all to earn God’s favor. Rather, we simply need to rest in the work of Christ.”
• What Makes Work Beautiful with Karen Swallow Prior. On this episode of the Faith & Work Podcast, is an interview with Karen Swallow Prior, author of You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful.
• The Drama of Work Part 3: Redemption. The pivotal act of the Drama of God is Act 3, redemption. This episode of the Faith & Work Podcast explores some key biblical texts which ground this theme, and also explores how God’s work of redemption is both finished and ongoing.
• The Sabbath Reminds Us That We Are Not Lords of Our Own Time. In this video, Megan Hill shares with us how the sabbath should be a rest from our weekly tasks.
• Christ Delights in Work Well Done. Ryan Dembeck writes “Over the years, after hundreds of interviews and conversations, I’ve observed three qualities of people who glorify God in their everyday vocation: resolve in the calling, grit because of joy, and dedication to others’ flourishing.”
• When Your Work Is Unpaid. On this webinar from the Denver Institute of Faith & Work, Ages & Stages: How Women Work & Lead Across Seasons of Life. Our culture often ties personal worth to a paycheck. This mindset creates a quiet crisis of identity during unpaid seasons. Whether you are parenting, volunteering, or changing careers, your work still matters. Without a paycheck, we easily question our value and productivity.

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Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week

• Leadership is the art of getting people to want to do what must be done. Jim Collins
• Character, not position, is the true foundation of leadership. Kirk Billiter
• In the Christian view, the way to find your calling is to look at the way you were created. Your gifts have not emerged by accident, but because the Creator gave them to you. Tim Keller
• Work of all kinds, whether with hands or mind, evidences our dignity as human beings—because it reflects the image of God the Creator in us. Tim Keller
• I prescribe to any of you who seek humility, try hard work; if you would know your nothingness, attempt some great thing for Jesus. Charles Spurgeon
• The way to find your calling is to look at the way you were created. Your gifts have not emerged by accident. Tim Keller
• It is one of the first and last qualifications of a good workman for God that he should put his heart into his work. Charles Spurgeon
• When work is your identity, success goes to your head, and failure goes to your heart. Tim Keller
• Our vocations are one avenue for doing God’s work in the world. Tim Keller

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WORK and LEADERSHIP BOOK REVIEW:

The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh, with Steve Jamison and Craig Walsh. Portfolio. 300 pages. 2009
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Craig Walsh tells us that this book is the ultimate guidebook to the Bill Walsh philosophy and methodology of leadership and is drawn from his father’s revealing and extensive conversations on the subject with Steve Jamison. The authors also had access to Bill Walsh’s private notes.
Also included in the book are concise, but revealing and frank opinions about Walsh from five key individuals in his professional life, each chosen for a specific reason. These five were asked to contribute their analyses of the leadership philosophy of Walsh.
Walsh, known as a teacher, an educator, may have been the greatest coach in NFL history. Over ten years with the San Francisco 49ers, where he also served as general manager, he had a record of 102–63–1, and won three Super Bowl championships.
In this book, we learn of Walsh’s Standard of Performance, which was his way of doing things, a leadership philosophy that has as much to do with core values, principles, and ideals as with blocking, tackling, and passing; more to do with the mental than with the physical. It applied to everyone in the 49ers organization. It began with this fundamental leadership assertion: Regardless of your specific job, it is vital to the team that you do that job at the highest possible level in all its various aspects, both mental and physical (i.e., good talent with bad attitude equals bad talent).
Among the many leadership topics covered in the book were teaching, professionalism, culture, contingency planning, learning, praise, constructive criticism, confidence, commitment, sacrifice, work ethic, mentoring, treating people right, delegation, and failure.
Walsh tells us that after his tenth season with the 49ers, he knew he had to retire. He had nothing left in the tank. Son Craig tells us that the lessons his father shares in this book are both a beacon for leadership and a cautionary tale—what to do and what not to do.
Although I’m not a passionate football fan, I thoroughly appreciated this book and would recommend it to leaders.

Below are twenty helpful leadership quotes from the book:

• What it all comes down to, namely, intelligently and relentlessly seeking solutions that will increase your chance of prevailing in a competitive environment. When you do that, the score will take care of itself.
• Failure is part of success, an integral part. Everybody gets knocked down. Knowing it will happen and what you must do when it does is the first step back.
• I began hiring personnel with four characteristics I value most highly: talent, character, functional intelligence (beyond basic intelligence, the ability to think on your feet, quickly and spontaneously), and an eagerness to adopt my way of doing things, my philosophy.
• Victory is produced by and belongs to all. Likewise, failure belongs to everyone.
• The culture precedes positive results. It doesn’t get tacked on as an afterthought on your way to the victory stand.
• The key to performing under pressure at the highest possible level, regardless of circumstance, is preparation in the context of your Standard of Performance and a thorough assimilation by your organization of the actions and attitudes contained within your philosophy of leadership.
• Few things offer greater return on less investment than praise—offering credit to someone in your organization who has stepped up and done the job.
• All successful leaders know where we want to go, figure out a way we believe will get the organization there (after careful consideration of relevant available information), and then move forward with absolute determination.
• The difference between offering an opinion and making a decision is the difference between working for the leader and being the leader.
• Constructive criticism is a powerful instrument essential for improving performance. Positive support can be equally productive. Used together by a skilled leader they become the key to maximum results.
• One of the greatest and most neglected skills in leadership is the ability to listen.
• The most important attribute of any organization is the way it treats its people.
• Over-and-under confidence are an ongoing challenge in leadership.
• Commitment and sacrifice are among the personal characteristics I value most highly in people.
• The art of leadership requires knowing when it makes sense to take people over the top, to push them to their highest level of effort, and when to take your foot off the accelerator a little.
• A good leader is always learning. The great leaders start learning young and continue until their last breath.
• In your own professional activities, remember that a reputation for fair play—treating people right—can be a big part of a potential employee’s decision to join you or a current and valued employee’s desire to remain.
• People are at the heart of achieving organizational greatness. Too often aggressive leaders forget the human part of the equation—the most important part.
• Don’t equate your team’s “won-lost record” with your self-worth.
• The “big plays” in business—or professional football—don’t just suddenly occur out of thin air. They result from very hard work and painstaking attention over the years to all of the details related to your leadership.

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Faith and Work Book Club – Won’t you read along with us?

Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work by Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels
Please join us in reading this book on faith and work.

From the Amazon description:
“In a world where workplaces are becoming increasingly diverse, Working for Better by Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels offers a timely guide for Christians navigating the modern faith-at-work landscape. Drawing from over twenty years of research and personal insights, Working for Better presents a groundbreaking exploration of how to express Christian faith in professional settings without compromising beliefs or alienating others.

Through detailed studies involving focus groups, surveys of more than 15,000 workers, and interviews with over 300 individuals, Ecklund and Daniels identify five key tensions in the faith-at-work movement. With compelling stories and practical applications, Working for Better addresses the need for Christian workers and leaders to adapt to cultural shifts, offering guidance for a more redemptive presence at work. Each chapter concludes with thought-provoking questions for individual reflection or group discussion, making this book an essential resource for anyone seeking to integrate faith with their professional life. Whether you’re a Christian worker, workplace leader, or pastor guiding others, Working for Better invites you to consider how to flourish in a rapidly changing world.

As workplaces continue to evolve, the ability to maintain one’s spiritual values while contributing positively to the organizational culture becomes ever more crucial. Working for Better not only equips readers with the wisdom and tools needed to face such challenges but also inspires them to become agents of change, promoting a more inclusive and harmonious work environment.”

This week, we look at Chapter 10: Talking About Christian Faith. Here are a few helpful quotes from the chapter:

• Several workers we spoke with described to us how they shared their faith to directly or indirectly create opportunities to evangelize to others. While this can be unwelcome, it is generally allowable by the law.
• Some Christians discussed expressing faith more through their actions than explicit talk about their faith or evangelism.
• We found that many workers from a variety of faith traditions or who are nonreligious worry that any expression of Christian faith in the workplace will lead to widespread proselytization.
• Workers who are not evangelical Christians often mentioned evangelicals as a group they are particularly concerned will push their faith on others.
• Some Christians feel their religious identity is not welcome in the workplace.
• When employees feel comfortable bringing their social identities to work—including their religious identity—they are less stressed and more committed to their organization.