The Sacred and the Secular: The Workplace

As I mentioned in my last post, I was at school last week to learn to drive a school bus and that I had also been hired at Rockler, a woodworking store. It has been a while since I have worked in a secular workplace. Between college and seminary I have spent most of my work time in Christian institutions, whether it be the college or seminary and also churches. I was re-introduced to working in a secular environment in a big way, even going to school to learn to drive a school bus. I was re-introduced to swearing as a common language, and not something that is said in the heat of the moment. I was re-introduced to smoke breaks and the congregating that happens when a group of smokers gets together. I was re-introduced to what I consider the biggest challenge to me, and that is the lack of getting to know one another. While I asked others in the class about their past lives and what brought them to this point no one asked me why I was there. I am not one to just come out and say, "I am a pastor!" I need to be asked in order for me to share that information. At Rockler the atmosphere was different because most of the people who work there are on their second career or this is their second job.

Needless to say I was glad when Sunday came around and I could go to church. It was a break from that which I am not use to. I know the people at church and I am accepted there. People know my ambitions and desires. This is not necessarily true for me in the secular workplace. This got me to thinking, Is not the church supposed to be different then the secular workplace? Is church just treated as a "smoke break" something that happens one day a week and then it is back to work? Or is it something different; something where we all can gather to worship God to hear the Bible spoken, participate together at the font of baptism and at the Lord's Table? I feel more comfortable in church because that is my calling, to be a pastor; to bring together those who come to church and to bring them into full participation of the church. Heaven forbid that I ever treat church as a "smoke break" and instead treat it as the fellowship of all who come.