Bringing the Text to Life
From Shadow to Spirit 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
The gifts of the Spirit help us to focus on what is truly important.
At a Glance
Used to be that if we wanted a round-trip airfare to a domestic or international destination, we'd go visit the local travel agent. Not anymore. Used to be that a gas jockey would pump our gas. Not anymore. Used to be that we'd buy a bedroom dresser and have it delivered, perhaps even custom made. Not anymore. Today, we do all of these things ourselves. And it takes up a lot of our time. It's called "shadow work."
Editors' Pick
For material based on today's gospel text, see "Vegas Vows," January 18, 2004, at HomileticsOnline.com.
Shadow work.
Pumping our own gas. Assembling our own furniture. Booking our own travel.
In years past, other people used to do this work for pay. But now we do it ourselves, for free.
Craig Lambert has written a fascinating book called Shadow Work: The Unpaid, Unseen Jobs That Fill Your Day. Clearly, these efforts take time. Lots of time.
Shadow work also includes new duties at our offices, which are constantly being downsized....