Sacred Work

All work is sacred to the extent that it contributes to the fulfillment of the Dominion Mandate of Genesis 1:26-28. See my earlier posts for an explanation of this.

Recognizing the sacredness of so-called "secular" work should not take away from the special value we place on the work of the ministry. Sometimes people attempt to raise appreciation for the work done in the marketplace by making the work done in ministry seem common. For example, it's not unusual for people to say something like this: You don't have to go to a foreign country to be a missionary. You can be a missionary where you work every day. You can be as much of a missionary there as someone who goes to Africa or to some other place.

Once again, work done in the so-called secular marketplace is sacred. But that doesn't mean there is nothing special about the work of ministry. Sometimes I think we unwittingly add to the confusion by speaking of the work of ministry as "vocational" or "full-time", as if the distinguishing characteristic is the amount of time someone devotes to the work of the ministry. If the amount of time someone spends doing the work of ministry is the only thing that matters, then there really is no difference between the work of ministry and other vocations.

So what is the difference? It boils down to "ordination". By "ordination" I am not referring to the ceremony involved, as much as I am to a church's official endorsement of a person to do a particular work of ministry on behalf of Christ's Body. We know there is such a thing as "ordained" ministry, because of the New Testament's mention and emphasis on it (see 1,2 Timothy and Titus for example).

The endorsement I'm talking about is, for example, what distinguishes a missionary's work (wherever it may occur) from activity associated with ordinary discipleship. In other words, as a matter of ordinary discipleship, all Christians are expected to share Christ with others and to assist them in their growth in Christ. People who are ordained to do this are especially set aside by a church for this specific task, having been examined and counted as trustworthy to represent the Body of Christ in their work.

When the work of ministry is understood in this sense, it doesn't really matter the amount of time someone spends. It's the official examination, qualification, and endorsement that marks the distinction.

People who are ordained to a work of ministry by a church are being called on to fulfill a certain role in the Body of Christ. It is a high calling. Keep in mind that its importance does not take away from the importance and sacredness of other professions. It's just that the tasks of ordinary discipleship that are expected in all professions should not take away from the special role that ordained ministry plays in the Body.

Like so many other areas of doctrine and practice, there is a balance here to be taken into consideration. Just as it would be wrong to make the work of ordained ministry something less special than it is, so it would be wrong to make it too special. By that I mean thinking and acting as if ordained persons are "lords" or more holy than any one else. Or as if people who are not ordained do not count very much. The extremes on all sides of these issues are to be avoided.

In the end, we come back to where we began on this subject. Whether "ordained" or "secular", all work is sacred. All of it matters to God, and to the rest of the Body as well.