9Marks Journal: Pastoring Christians for the Workplace (34期：牧养职场圣徒)

Many Christians think that you just can’t serve the kingdom of God at work, and that kingdom work happens “after hours”—volunteering at the church nursery, attending small group, going on a mission trip, serving at the soup kitchen. Our work is a necessity that must be endured to put bread on the table. God’s interest in the fruit of our labors is primarily that we tithe off of it. The Bible offers quite a different perspective. Scripture teaches us how to serve God through our work, not just after work. The Bible speaks clear and radical words to people in the workplace, showing us that even the most menial of jobs has an essential role in the mission of God. In fact, it is surely not coincidental that most of the parables that Jesus told had a workplace context, and that of the forty miracles recorded in the book of Acts, thirty-nine of them occurred outside of a church setting. The God of the Bible seems as concerned with displaying his power outside the walls of the church as he does within it.

工作的话题在当今基督徒作家和思想家当中是很热门的话题，这很好理解。当周一早上的太阳晒进房间，主日神的道和圣徒相通带来的、还残存最后一丝缭绕在心里的喜乐，就被一声叹息“该做早饭了”而驱散。

牧师，你如何预备你的教会成员迎接周一的到来？

那些空谈的神学家很容易太过强调周间职场的活动，好像基督徒已经能在当下造就永恒：“别谈什么传道书了”。讽刺的是，在正统神学圈子里，更大的危险不是得胜主义，而是对来世的淡化：“不要讲什么天堂”。

牧师，请不要这样做。你的教会需要班扬所描绘的图画，基督徒虽然跌倒，仍然坚定攀向天上之城，手虽发酸，眼睛疲乏，仍要定睛永恒。

然而， 基督徒永恒的生命确实已经开始。并且信心帮助我们看见我们已经透过工作反映创造主的品格。我们手上削好的铅笔表明神做事是有计划和目的的。填满的数据表反映出神的照管。交通灯的闪烁诉说着神对次序的认同。医院干净的床单告诉人们神是满有怜悯的。当然神也安息在他手所做的工上。

工作是有何等的喜乐和特权，，只要它表明慷慨并授权于我们的神，即使当你做早点的时候也是如此。也许某片掉落的雪花更强烈地诉说这一点？

九标志之前曾分两期讨论过带职长老的话题。是时候聊一聊如何帮助牧者思考牧养职场圣徒的事了。J.D Greear牧师带来对工作“基督化”的意义的思考。Lukas Naugle，一位职场达人，分享了那些帮助他的功课。Jamie Dunlop和Bari Nichols会帮助你思考特定的群体—那些对职场志向太好高骛远的人以及在家工作的人。

Sebastian Traeger写了两篇关于牧者和商业人士如何更好地彼此理解和服侍的文章，我尤其被鼓舞。实际上，是Sebastian促使我选择了本期的主题。别错过教会主日学课程《职场圣徒》和《忠心管家》。

最后，《何谓宣教的商业》值得你打印出来分发给你教会的商业人士。