The Christian History Institute has just released an excellent new video resource, “Going on Vocation.” Drawing on scripture and two millennia of Christian thought and practice, the series speaks directly to the present realities of work and business. It addresses the highs and the lows, the personal and the systematic, the clear and the complex.
Jim Hislop, an ON leader who directs the Center for Leadership Development at Western Seminary, has already used clips from “Going on Vocation” in a Theology of Work class:
The class loves them. I love the way it uses real down-to-earth people as illustrations of the topics and hits us right where we live. I also appreciate the length of each session. Thank you for producing these. I will continue to use them whenever I’m teaching on this topic.
Co-written by the ON’s own Chris Armstrong, the video features five ON leaders – Armstrong, Darrell Bock, Greg Forster, P.J. Hill, and Charlie Self. Other prominent figures from the faith and work movement appearing in the video include Vincent Bacote, David Miller, and Gene Veith. These educators and leaders provide a wealth of insight on the theology and history of vocation.
“It’d be easy if we could just check our in-basket and see if God sent us an e-mail that day.”
David Miller, in “Going on Vocation”
Just as important, however, are the other experts on work who appear in the film: a waitress, a beekeeper, a farmer, a stay-at-home dad, a human resources ethics officer, a beautician, a deputy police chief, a chocolatier, a project manager, a nurse, and many more. They testify to the present realities of work – the challenges, toil and frustration, as well as the big triumphs and quiet comforts. They show how the experiences of work that the Bible, Gregory the Great, Luther, and Wesley speak about are still going on all around us.
“Looking back, you know, it’s like – I’m not just a waitress … I loved doing the nursing thing, but you don’t have to be a nurse or anything like that to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Adrienne Tressler, in “Going on Vocation”
The video is two episodes, each of which contains four lessons that can be viewed separately or together. Each episode is a total of 50 minutes. ON member schools can get sample copies for free by contacting Greg Forster.
