Transcript FINDING GOD IN ALL THINGS - Loyola Marymount University

Workplace Spirituality:
Finding God in Your Work
Mary & Joseph Retreat Center
Fr. Mark Bandsuch, S.J.
Welcome
Workplace Spirituality:
Hopes for Finding God in Your Work
1. The retreat will introduce a
Spirituality of Work as understood
in Catholic Scripture, doctrine
and tradition.
2. The retreat will take a closer look
at the Spirituality of Work through
the lens of cultural knowledge.
3. The retreat will allow reflection on
one’s personal and communal
experience of workplace
spirituality.
4. The retreat will offer a spiritual
framework and practices for
further growth in workplace
spirituality.
5. Look, Listen, Learn and Love.
Retreat Schedule
Workplace Spirituality:
10:00
10:05
Welcome and Opening Prayer
1st Talk: Constructing a Spirituality of Work from
perspective of Catholic Scripture &Tradition [Values]
10:30
10:50
11:15
Individual Reflection/Prayer
Group Sharing
2nd Talk: Deconstructing Workplace Spirituality
via lens of Cultural Knowledge [Practices & Relationships]
11:35
12:00
12:30
1:00
Individual Reflection/Prayer
Group Sharing
Lunch
3rd Talk: Reconstructing Workplace Spirituality in
light of Personal Experience [Vocation and Calling]
1:30
2:00
2:30
3:00
Individual Reflection/Prayer
Group Sharing and Final Questions
Eucharistic Liturgy
Closing Prayer and Departure
[Director available for brief meetings
during prayer periods]
Workplace Spirituality:
• 1st Talk: Constructing a Spirituality of Work
from perspective of Catholic Scripture &Tradition
[Values and Beliefs]
• 2nd Talk: Deconstructing Workplace Spirituality
via lens of Cultural Knowledge
[Practices & Relationships]
• 3rd Talk: Reconstructing Workplace Spirituality
in light of Personal and Communal Experience
[Vocation and Calling]
Opening Prayer
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Dear Lord,
I beg for your grace that
all my intentions, actions, and operations,
all my thoughts, words, deeds, and (even)
all my innermost motives, desires & emotions
be directed purely and completely to
the praise, reverence, service, and LOVE
of you and others.
1st Talk: Constructing a
Spirituality of WORK from the
perspective of Catholic Scripture &Tradition
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Spirituality
Work
Workplace Spirituality
Spirituality of Work in
Catholic Scripture and Tradition
• Ignatian Contemplatio to Attain
Love
• ?s
Spirituality: A Brief Pre-Note
• Religion – Creed, Code, Cult and
Community based on a
Transcendent Other
• Spirit – the word spirit (ruah in
Hebrew and pneuma in Greek)
implies essentialism and
dynamism of God, humanity or its
subject)
• Spirituality – beliefs (values), rituals
(practices) and community
(relationships) in connection with an
ultimate value (God, nature, money,
etc..)
• Workplace Spirituality – is the way
of being, believing (values and
morality), behaving (rituals and
practices) and relating (community
and relationships as to work in
relation to an ultimate value or
purpose
Of Work: A Brief Pre-Note
• Work – encompasses all forms of
creative effort of mind, body and
soul to impact the world
• Work Manifestations – includes
manual labor, intellectual
research, professional practice,
family responsibilities, community
service, and more
• Work Essence – may be the
essential and dynamic
component of our creative
energies
• Work Quality – the above
concept of work may mean that
we could sometimes perform a
job or other tasks without it really
reaching the level of work
Spirituality of Work: in Scripture
• The word Labor and Work in Hebrew
(melaka) and Greek (ergazomai) contained
multiple and mixed (positive and negative)
meanings from a very early time
• God labored (and labors) in Creation (Gen.
2:2)
• Humanity’s first labor was and IS to work
with God in creation (Gen. 1:26-28, 2:15)
• God’s work was and is good (GN 1:31)
• Work was NOT a punishment for original sin,
but sometimes difficult and unrewarding
work was a consequence (Gen. 3:16-19)
• The word labor used for challenging work
and the pains of childbearing (a result of sin)
(Gen. 3:16-19)
Spirituality of Work: in Scripture
• Yet, work was still honored as good
(Pr. 31:13-27, Ex 35:20 – God inspires
the Temple maker)
• The rest of the Sabbath highlights the
value of work
• Mtt. 11:28-29 (Come to me those who
are weary…)
• Jesus labored as carpenter, disciples
as fishermen, Paul as tentmaker
• Idleness is a sin
• We are co-workers with God in
building the Kingdom (Rom.16:3-12),
just as Jesus, the Son, is a co-worker
with the Father (Jn 5:17)
Catholic Social Teaching about Work
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Slavery and oppressive treatment of workers an
issue of Jewish and early Christian history
Industrialization created an oppression and
devaluation of humanity that led to a Christian
demand for justice
Rerum Novarum (1891)
Work both penitential and fulfilling
Partnership between owners &management with
employees (like that of God and humanity)
Quadreagesimo Anno (1931)
Mater et Magistra (1961)
Principle of subsidiarity encourages freedom and
responsibility in the workplace
Inherent dignity of work and worker
Rights and Responsibilities of Workers
Gaudium eet Spes (1965)
Co-creator’s and stewards with God
Work as source of charity and common good
Populorum Progressio (1967)
Laborex Exercens (1981)
Centisimus Annus (1991)
Economic Justice, Solidarity with all humanity,
Option for the poor
One Jesuit’s View of Work:
Ignatian Contemplatio to Attain Love
God’s creation of world for us, All good gifts come from God
Consider how God dwells: in all creatures, in the elements, giving them
existence, in plants, giving them life, in the animals, giving them sensation
(SE, 235) and of course in human beings
God continues to labor and work for us in all creatures, elements, plants,
fruits, cattle, heavens (conserving and concurring) [people]
Reflection Suggestions: Three Questions
1.
What thoughts and emotions do the different
scriptural readings on work evoke in you?
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With which scriptural perspective of work do you
most identify? And why?
With which one do you want to be able to
identify? Why?
3.
Which of the primary principles of Catholic Social
Teaching most resonate with your work
experience?
What do you do at work that really seems to
coincide with Catholic Social Teaching? What
suggestions do you have for things to do at work to
help cultivate Catholic Social Teaching?
?Questions?
Group Sharing
• Please share with the group something in relation to each of the reflection
questions.
• Please give each person a chance to share within the given time.
• You may take the questions one at time (giving each person a chance to say
something before going on to the next question),
• Or you may have each person address each question before moving on to
the next person.
• Look, listen, learn and love.
2nd Talk: Deconstructing Workplace
Spirituality
via lens of Cultural Knowledge [Practices & Relationships]
• Philosophy and Theology
• Social Sciences and Natural
Sciences
• Organizational Behavior, Positive
Psychology, Human Resource
Management
• Personal and Organizational
Levels Values (beliefs)
• Practices (rituals)
• Relationships (Community)
• All three dimensions of spirituality
should be employed in a clear,
coordinated, comprehensive and
continuous manner.
Theologians on Work
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Post-Biblical Tradition saw work as a way to
develop virtues, more than good in itself
Penitential view of work still remains due to
experience of work (but does not dominate due
to good experience of work)
Work is the classroom for our relationship with
God and one another (both a conduit and
foreshadowing of the Kingdom)
Monastic life showed work in balance with
prayer and intellect
Industrialization created an oppression and
devaluation of humanity that led to a Christian
demand for justice
Work, like all aspects of life, is infused by the
grace of God
And we are called to share in and cooperate
with God’s grace through work
We are co-creator’s with God of the many
incredible goods of this world
Work is way to self-realization, it helps form
who we are and who meant to be (realize our
potential)
Work is intended for the good of humanity (not
individual consumption)
Workplace Spirituality
Workplace Spirituality
Ultimate Value
Values/Beliefs
Practices/Activities
Relationships/Community
Workplace Spirituality
• is the way of being,
believing (values and
morality),
• behaving (rituals and
practices) and
• relating (community
and relationships)
• as to work
• in connection with an
ultimate value or
purpose (God or Other)
Workplace Spirituality :
Personal and Organizational Levels
Organizational
Personal
Workplace Spirituality
• Personal and Organizational
Values, Practices and
Relationships interact in the
Workplace
• Personal Spirituality is somewhat
integrated into the workplace
• Organizational Culture and
Climate influences the workers
• The interaction results in a
workplace spirituality (whether
knowingly cultivated and
managed or not)
Workplace Spirituality :
Values
• mission statements,
codes of conduct,
company histories,
advertising campaigns
• Merck’s stated purpose
is “to preserve and
improve human life,”
• The H-P Way aspires “to
make technical
contributions for the
advancement and
welfare of humanity”
Workplace Spirituality : Practices
• Workplace Spirituality
Practices – practices that
cultivate the fundamental
values
• Hiring – for mission
• Inculturating – orienting
and establishing values
• Reinforcing – solidifying
and evolving through
rewards, punishments and
assessment
• Ritual - Sacred gesture with
sacred object in sacred
place at sacred time with
sacred meaning
Workplace Spirituality Practices:
HIRING
• Hiring for Mission
• Hiring people that share from
beginning in values
• Dollar General “has devised an
unusual interview process, which
includes candidates writing their
own personal mission statement”
(Marcic, 2000, 198).
• Procter and Gamble uses “an
exhaustive application and
screening process” implemented
by an “elite cadre of interviewers
who have been selected and
trained extensively via lectures,
videotapes, films, practice
interviews and role plays to
identify applicants who will
successfully fit in at P and G”
(Robbins, 1993, 610).
Workplace Spirituality Practices:
TRAINING
• Inculturating – orienting and
establishing the values through
formal (culture) and informal
(climate) rules and activities
• Production of objects (e.g.,
company products, official
reports, internal newsletters,
buildings); engagements in
organizational events (e.g.,
meetings, company picnics,
award banquets, office
parties): participation in
discourse (e.g., formal
speeches, informal
conversation, joking).
• Service days, retreats,
conferences, training programs
Workplace Spirituality Practices:
OBJECTS
• Ritual - Sacred gesture with sacred object in
sacred place at sacred time with sacred meaning
Workplace Spirituality Practices:
REWARDS
• Rewards – Reinforcing and
solidifying and evolving
through rewards,
punishments and
assessment
• Example Practices Include
compensation based on
adhering to company values,
employee of the month
Workplace Spirituality Relationships:
Leadership
• Leadership
• Influence of leaders on
values
• Formal and Informal
leaders
Workplace Spirituality Relationships:
Co-Workers
• Treatment of Employees is
critical to establishing
environment
• Southwestern
• Firms that provide
childcare, eldercare, job
sharing, flex-time,
sabbaticals and leaves,
social events, picnics and
parties, exercise and
dining facilities help
employees feel valued as
members of a community
• Ownership and input
Workplace Spirituality Relationships:
Other Stakeholders
• Other Stakeholders
• Customers and others
you serve and help or
who serve and help
you
• Community outreach
• Trinity and Church as
community
Reflection Suggestions: Three Questions
1. What are the primary values in your
workplace?
What are your primary values as to
work?
Do the values correspond or conflict?
2. What are activities or practices that your work
does that seem to correspond with the above
work values?
What practices seem to conflict with
them?
3. What values do the leaders in your workplace
seem to convey, embody and manifest?
What type of values do your peers and
other employees seem to convey?
What type of values do other
stakeholders (like customers, suppliers, or
the community seem to convey and manifest?
Workplace Spirituality Quiz?
Q1. On my way to work, I:
1. Walk with a spring in my step. I look forward to it.
2. Stroll. I like work but I'm in no hurry to get there.
3. Practically sleepwalk. Another day, another dollar.
4. Trudge. Agony awaits.
Q2. I work late hours:
1. Too often. Help!
2. When necessary. Ugh.
3. All the time. I can't get enough.
4. Rarely. Life's too short.
Q3. My job generally:
1. Gives me the opportunity to use my whole self -- mind, spirit, and
imagination.
2. Challenges me but leaves little room for creativity.
3. Wears me out.
4. Makes me wonder why I was born.
Q4. At dinner with friends, I:
1. Talk about work with pride and enthusiasm.
2. Share the ups and downs of my workday.
3. Mostly vent about work.
4. Who wants to talk about work after hours?
Workplace Spirituality Quiz?
Q5. The song title that comes closest to representing my relationship to
my coworkers is:
1. Welcome to the Jungle (Guns N' Roses)
2. You Can't Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones)
3. With a Little Help From My Friends (Beatles)
4. Good Vibrations (Beach Boys)
Q6. My spiritual practice or faith:
1. Is an uplifting part of my workday routine.
2. Can be a lifesaver in difficult moments at work, but doesn't help me with
the daily grind.
3. Supports me in my personal life; work is another story.
4. I never pray, meditate, or even just take a deep breath at work.
Q7. In long meetings, I fantasize about:
1. Taping "kick me" signs on my boss.
2. Anything but work.
3. That cool project I want to do.
4. Actually, I enjoy engaging in meetings.
Q8. My job:
1. Is a perfect match for my soul's desires.
2. Isn't perfect but gives me room to express myself and grow.
3. Is nothing special but enables me to do the stuff I really care about.
4. Is a way to pay the bills.
Workplace Spirituality Quiz Results.
• Here's how to interpret your score:
• 8 - 15
Yikes! Your soul is starving. Drop
everything and try to meditate or
pray. Then apply these tips to that
job search you should be doing...
• 16 - 23
Mixed results. Your soul is
managing, but there's room for
improvement. You can try thinking
of your current situation as spiritual
practice, or try probing deeper to
find your true calling.
• 24 - 32
Congratulations! Your soul is
inspired by work. Share with others
what you're grateful for.
?Questions?
Group Sharing
• Please share with the group something in relation to each of the reflection
questions.
• Please give each person a chance to share within the given time.
• You may take the questions one at time (giving each person a chance to say
something before going on to the next question),
• Or you may have each person address each question before moving on to
the next person.
• Look, listen, learn and love.
3rd Talk: Reconstructing Workplace
Spirituality in
light of Personal Experience [Vocation and Calling]
• God’s work of creation,
salvation, and glorification.
• Vocation and Calling
• Ignatian Examination of
Blessings
• What is your Spirituality of
Work?
Workplace Spirituality:
God’s Work of Creation, Salvation and Glorification
God’s entire essence and activity is an outpouring of love
directed at humanity’s creation, salvation and glorification.
People (others, poor, self)
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Created in the image and likeness of God (GN 1:26-31; Ps 139:13-18)
Forgiveness and Redemption and Salvation Gift of Holy Spirit and Temple of Spirit (Rm 5:5, catechism)
Children of God (RM 8:14-17)
Brothers and Sisters of Christ
Glorification (1 Cor 15:49, RM 8:28-30)
Poor and less fortunate (Mtt 5:42, 10:8, 25:31-40, Lk 6:20-22)
Workplace Spirituality:
Vocation and Calling
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Vocation was initially rooted in language to be
called by God to serve God directly as
religious, etc.
Abram, Moses, Saul, David, Isaiah (49:1),
Jeremiah, Peter, Paul, disciples (mk 1:16-20)
Human vocation – find fulfillment
Christian vocation - Universal call to
holiness, service and love rooted in baptism
Specific vocation – individual’s unique way of
using unique gifts to love and serve God and
others (including in work) (Jn 21:15-19)
We are each called to individually and
communally cooperate with and contribute to
God’s activity of and plan for creation,
salvation, and glorification of humanity.
The early Christian Church began to use the
same words for religious ministry (preaching,
etc.) that were used for manual labor (i.e.,
good works of Jesus and of his disciples).
Evil works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21)
Good works rooted in and reflection of the
grace of God
A Response to God’s Call:
Ignatian 1st Principle and Foundation and
Preparatory Prayer
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Dear Lord, I beg for your grace that
all my intentions, actions, and operations,
all my thoughts words, deeds, and (even)
all my innermost motives, desires and emotions
be directed purely and completely to
the praise, reverence, service, and LOVE of you and others.
Love and Serve God and OTHERS
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1 JN 4: 7-12, MTT 22:35-40,
1Cor 12:4-7, 31, 13:1-7
Remember, focus, surrender
(suffer)
Goodness, presence, humility
Gratitude, trust, obedience
Praise, reverence, service
Hope, faith, charity (generosity
-shares what one has with those
in need, what and when they
want and need it)
Joy, peace, love, (inclusive)
Patience, forgiveness, kindness
love ought to manifest itself
more by deeds than by words
Especially to the poor
MTT 25:31-40; Const. [250]
Love Yourself
• Don’t forget how much
you are loved by God
• Ps 139:13-18
• Love yourself
• Allow yourself to accept
love from God and others
• Let yourself be loved
Ignatian Considerations of the States of Life
Advice on how to use one’s experience to choose best how to praise, love,
and serve God and others in imitation of Christ, under the standard of Christ, in
all humility and poverty, in your work and all aspects of your life.
1. Unquestionable and Confirmed Mystical
Experience
2. Clarity and knowledge from a period of
discernment involving consolations and
desolations
3. In utmost tranquility and freedom
(indifference), utilize the gift of reason
under utility, rights, justice care, and other
4. How would you advise a good friend (or
stranger) for whom you want nothing but
the best
5. Imagine being at the point of death, what
choice would you have wished you made
and done
6. Imagine standing before God and the
heavenly court on judgment day, what
choice would you hope you have wanted
to make
Discernment of God’s Will and of Spirits
and Spiritual Consolation
• Courage, strength, consolations,
tears, genuine happiness,
tranquility, inspirations to do good
(to love God and others in
actions)
• Not about just feeling good
(consolation can be attributed to
some challenging emotions like
grief, regret)
• An increase in hope, faith, charity,
joy and love that attracts person
to do good (love God and others
in actions)
• Luke 24:27-34 again
Ignatian Examination of Blessings
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Finding God Video (1 Kings 19:11-14)
Look, Listen, Learn, Love
Blessings particular to one own’s life
all good gifts come from God
Recall all the personal gifts and talents
that God has bestowed upon you
Recall the gifts of creation, forgiveness,
redemption and glorification
Recall the special people that God has
placed in your life
Recall those special moments of blessing
in your life
Recall those places that were sacred and
special to you
Reflect on life and ordinary events of day
to recall moments that God was present in
your life, communicating God’s love and
care to you
Respond to God for all of these gifts in
gratitude and love or as your heart feels
moved
Material for Reflection/Prayer
• Ask God for the grace to recall the
blessings in your life
• Reflect on your life – (year to year,
major periods, occasions, people)
and recall the blessings in your life
in connection with work,
experiences, people
• Reflect on life, work and ordinary
events of day to recall moments
that God was present in your life,
communicating God’s love and care
to you
• Respond accordingly
• Luke 24:27-34 again
• Write down on a sheet of paper
any blessings that you want to
thank God for
Material for Reflection/Prayer
1. What blessings have I experienced
with and in my work?
• What values (gifts and talents) with
work have been a blessing?
• What activities (events, experiences,
creations, and developments) with
work have been a blessing?
• What relationships with work (friends
and those you help and serve or who
help you) have been a blessing?
• Thank God for these blessings or
pray to God as moved.
• This is a glimpse of your Spirituality of
Work.
2. What have I done for God and Others
with my work?
• What am I am doing for God and
Others with my work?
• What do I hope to do for God and
others with my work?
• [Focus on the positive.]
• [You have done, continue to do, and
will do very much good for God and
Others.]
?Quick Questions?
Group Sharing
• Please share with the group something in relation to each of the reflection
questions.
• Please give each person a chance to share within the given time.
• You may take the questions one at time (giving each person a chance to say
something before going on to the next question),
• Or you may have each person address each question before moving on to
the next person.
• Look, listen, learn and love.
Final Questions
Workplace Spirituality:
• 1st Talk: Constructing a Spirituality of Work
from perspective of Catholic Scripture &Tradition
[Values and Beliefs]
• 2nd Talk: Deconstructing Workplace Spirituality
via lens of Cultural Knowledge
[Practices & Relationships]
• 3rd Talk: Reconstructing Workplace Spirituality
in light of Personal and Communal Experience
[Vocation and Calling]
Eucharistic Liturgy
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Readers
Eucharistic Ministers
Music
Homily
Petitions
Workplace Spirituality:
Finding God in Your Work
Thank You and May God Bless You!
Fr. Mark Bandsuch, S.J.