Wisdom and Work

I read Proverbs 8:22-31 and since I was rereading "Zen and the Art of the Motorcycle Maintenance. the passage really stood out to me. ZAMM expounds about quality and excellence in life. The Proverbs passage teaches about the origins of Wisdom and how God used wisdom in creation. Proverbs 8:30-31 teaches:

Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing in the world, His earth, having my delight in the sons of men.

The idea of Pirsig's quality/excellence/arete(greek) has some parallels with Wisdom. Both are an ordering principle of reality. The book Your Work Matters to God by Sherman and Hendricks points out about the above scriptural passage that "Rejoicing" can be translated "play." The authors then teach that Christ is Wisdom and that Christ played before God in his creation and Christ played with man. The other options I found for translating "Rejoicing" are "dancing" or "playing an instrument" or "laughing." I don't think Christ is directly referenced in the passage. I think the author personified "Wisdom" for a point. Wisdom is "skill in living." God used wisdom in ordering and designing the universe. Creating is God's work, God did it with Wisdom, and God enjoy creating. Wisdom is skill in the totality of life. Wisdom is ordering our lives around the ordering principle of the universe: glorifying God. Wisdom is working well, playing well, treating others well and serving God well in everything we do. Our relationship with God should transform every aspect our lives into lives of quality. Pirsig thinks doing tasks well will transform the performer. There is truth in that, but only God can transform a life. Once God transforms a life, one can begin a life of wisdom and quality.

One benefit is that our enjoyment in God and our skill in life should translate to joy of life. God enjoys and delights in his creation. Hs is a master craftsman who takes joy in his work. One way to translate the Proverbs passage "While God created the world, God delighted in wisdom as wisdom danced before God while God created the world." Lewis had Aslan sing Narnia into creation. I can see where Lewis gets that imagery now. The joy of Aslan that Lewis expressed in the Narnian creation, God had for the creation of our universe and mankind.

We are made in the image of God. Thus, as we live skillfully, life and work should be a joy for us. I am not saying we will have it easy, but we should endure suffering as Christ endured suffering, "...who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross." Or as book of James exhorts us, "Consider it all joy brethren when you meet trials of various kinds." We can have joy in work in spite of or even because of the suffering.

Spurgeon and Preaching

I read this in C. H. Spurgeon by Dallimore.

During the 1880s a group of American ministers visited England, prompted especially by a desire to hear some of the celebrated preachers of that land

On a Sunday morning they attended the City Temple where Dr. Joseph Parker was the pastor. Some two thousand people filled the building, and Parker's forceful personality dominated the service. His voice was commanding, his language descriptive, his imagination lively, and his manner animated. The sermon was scriptural, the congregation hung upon his words, and the Americans came away saying, "What a wonderful preacher is Joseph Parker!"

In the evening they went to hear Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. The building was much larger than the City Temple, and the congregation was more than twice the size. Spurgeon's voice was much more expressive and moving and his oratory noticably superior. But they soon forgot all about the great building, the immense congregation, and the magnificient voice. They even overlooked their intention to compare the various features of the two preachers,and when the service was over they found themselves saying, "What a wonderful Savior is Jesus Christ!"

May everyone who views our ministry have the same reaction to our ministry. Glorify the Master and not the servant!