Workship: Recalibrate Work and Worship by Patrick Lai

An M3 Weekly Book Review

What is the scriptural basis for how work and worship interact in the life of a Christian surrendered to the Great Commission? Patrick Lai, a pioneer and long-time leader in the world of business-as-mission (and a friend of Navigators Missional Enterprise) has written a new book, Workship: Recalibrate Work and Worship 1, to explore that question.

In the early chapters of Workship, Lai focuses on the need for recalibrating our understanding of work and missions. He reflects on several tensions that have existed in evangelical missions work over the last few decades regarding the role of business in missions. Lai then dives into the original Hebrew and Greek of the Scriptures to give a fresh perspective on how work and worship integrate in the plan of God.

Lai expands on this integration, leading the reader into some thought-provoking ideas about Jesus’s “Parable of the Soils.” He describes the primacy of Love and Prayer in our work of plowing the soil, drawing from the scriptures and numerous real-life stories from his many decades of experience.

This is probably not the best first book for someone unfamiliar with business as mission, but any current or aspiring missional entrepreneur can benefit from spending time receiving and reflecting upon the ideas and illustrations provided in this engaging new book.

A Great (Free) Course

An excellent resource for those new to missional enterprise is the Introduction to Business As Mission (BAM) course offered for free by Third Path Initiative, the training component of Triventure, a business as mission launchpad. Mike Baer, leader and author in the BAM movement, explains the origins and meaning of business as mission and gives an introduction to the characteristics of missional businesses and some key strategic issues in their implementation. A veteran in the missional business world, Mike’s presentation is a relaxing fireside chat (there’s literally a fireplace) that will give the BAM newcomer a great overview with an investment of just a few hours.

We at M3 Weekly have taken several of the Third Path Initiative courses for a test drive, including a few of their premium courses (offered for a fee). We found them all to be potentially great resources for aspiring missional enterprise practitioners, as well as for those in the early stages of building an enterprise, or who may be struggling and could benefit from filling in some steps they may have missed. These premium courses would be ideal to take with a cohort of others, or with a mentor.

Verse of the Week

Psalm 90:17: “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” (ESV)

What is the relationship between the Lord’s favor and the work of our hands? What is the significance of the repetition of the last phrase? Let’s meditate on these questions and make this passage a prayer for the work the Lord has entrusted to us this week.