Advent is the season leading up to the birth of Christ. During this season Christians are called to enter a posture of hopeful anticipation as they re-enter the long-expected arrival of the Messiah. This is a season of hope—a season where we experience the power of anticipation. But Advent is not unique to the Christmas season. And hope is not merely a driver for religious people. The truth is, we are all narrative creatures living with desired outcomes (“hopes”) and, whether we see it or not, these hopes are the engines that drive our lives.
Continue reading as Robert Covolo illustrates why we should reflect on the power of hope this Advent season.
This year’s Year-End Giving Campaign highlights stories from CFWLA participants who have experienced profound transformation through our programming. These stories reveal how their vision of work, relationship with God, and outlook on life have been renewed.
We invited participants to reflect on their journey and share how they see God at work—both in their workplaces and in the larger story He’s writing in the world. Each week we will be adding a new testimony.
Here, Robert shares a prayer from our recent Reimagining Work event. Join us in prayer over our public servants and the important work they do for the flourishing of our communities.
Our twelfth Reimagining Work gathering, focused on public policy in Los Angeles, brought together distinguished guests and panelists for an inspiring evening of insights and collaboration.
Labor Day is seen by most Angelinos as the last gasp of summer; a three-day weekend serving as summer’s conclusion—the bookend to Memorial Day’s launch of summer. It is well known that Memorial Day honors those who died in the armed forces defending our country, but less is known about the significance of Labor Day. Is it a secular holiday—a materialist nod to the role workers play in building the economic prosperity of the United States? Or should we include Labor Day among holidays Christians take note of?
Read on to hear more as Robert Covolo explores why Christians have good reason to enter Labor Day with celebration.
A smartphone is a wonderful thing. It provides immediate access to all kinds of information, plays any music you like, keeps you in touch with friends and family from around the world, and has innumerable apps that can help you keep your life organized. It’s little wonder they are so popular. But there is a drawback. Smartphones bring with them a demand for our attention. Read on as Robert Covolo dives into The Common Rule and its recent impact on his life.
People often say they are in search of “meaningful work.” But what exactly makes for “meaningful work”? Michaela O’Donnell-Long’s new book, Make Work Matter, suggests that finding “meaningful work” may not be what we thought it was. Here are some great takeaways that CFWLA’s Robert Covolo held onto from her book regarding our elusive search for meaningful work.
The Reformer Martin Luther is well known for his life-changing views on salvation—salvation is a gift to be received, not a work to be achieved. Less known is Luther’s life-changing views on vocation.
To rectify this, Michael Berg’s Vocation: The Setting for Human Flourishing, introduces Luther’s paradigm-shattering views on salvation, vocation, and the relationship between the two.
One of the most fundamental and sweeping claims of the Christian faith is found in the very first words of the Bible: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” It is not hard to see that this claim involving God and everything else is far reaching.
Less obvious is how this sweeping claim relates to something as mundane as work. Thankfully, help has arrived. Bruce Ashford and Craig Bartholomew’s recently released volume, The Doctrine of Creation, is a fresh, in-depth exploration that shows the rich connections between a God who made everything and our everyday work.
After spending some time with Andy Crouch’s book, Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power, I found it helpful to reflect on some of Crouch’s lessons in the book and see the overlaps with our daily work. Crouch focuses his work on the heart of power: its inherent goodness, its corrupting nature, and the Christian’s role as an image bearer of God in redeeming and reimagining the way they steward the power they are entrusted.
How does one combat hurry in an age of busy? In Justin Whitmel Earley’s book The Common Rule readers get a glimpse of redeeming “hurry” that invades life—specifically in the way we approach work. Rather than falling into the bootstrap, self-help category, Earley’s work helps open our eyes to the habits, liturgies, and rhythms that are directly and indirectly shaping our lives.
