This past weekend, friends from my former church gathered in Austin for some fellowship time. It was a weekend of food, laughter, and serious discussions. Our last meal together, after the Sunday morning church service and class, began with the blessing of our meal and ended with more serious …
Stewardship Season
Fall usually means stewardship season in the church. As the year-end approaches, churches need to develop next year’s operating budget. It is difficult for churches to estimate revenues unless members give the church their estimated giving (pledge) for the next year. Many ministers preach their …
Between Worlds
I believe that it is possible to fully integrate faith and work. It was so important that I wrote a book about it. In reality, there are gray areas where I wonder if I am making the right decisions. For example, I invest primarily in passive index funds. These are highly diversified investments that …
Moral Ecology
This past week has been one of extremes. On Friday morning, my wife and I babysat our 8-month old granddaughter for a couple of hours. We fed her lunch, took her out for a walk in her stroller, and then played inside the house with her. She became upset about something and started to cry. This …
Working Women
During my life, I witnessed revolutionary changes in women’s roles. I attended an engineering university during the 1970’s and my freshman class was 11% female, the largest number of entering females in the university’s history. Today, my university has 30% female engineering undergraduates (1,400). …
A Quest for Integration
I desire my faith to be 24/7. I don’t want to be a Christian who goes diligently to church on Sunday, then lives a secular life Monday through Saturday. I want my faith to be present at home, with friends and family, and when interacting in my community. I strive to be obedient to Christ in all I …
Sunday-Monday Gap
When I interviewed at my university’s placement office for my first professional job, I sought a career with good pay, challenging work, and secure employment. I had little money, one business suit, and an old car that was on its last legs. I was tired of being a poor student and the daily grind of …
What Should I Do with my Life?
When I was young, my father would say, “Ken, you are going to be an engineer!” The only thing I knew at that time about engineers was that they worked on trains. I never asked my father why he thought I should be an engineer, but it must have something to do with my organizational and logical …
Theological Model of Work
I recently published my first book, Trading With God: Seven Steps to Integrate Your Faith into Your Work. Part II describes my theological model of work founded on the threefold, distinct, and interrelating aspects of Christian work: self-actualization, community, and new creation. All three aspects …
Secular and the Sacred
I worked almost a decade in Europe. The office environment was completely secular. I rarely heard anyone discuss spiritual issues or their church involvement. We did regularly discuss work, sports, and politics, though. When my wife and I traveled, we toured the great cathedrals, churches, and …