Spiritual Work and Secular Work
The compartmentalization of the work week can wreak havoc on the inner life. It is easier to keep our prayers, spiritual reading, and focus on Christ, reserved for the weekend. Like so many, we struggle to keep spiritually grounded while at work. So many jobs make it seem impossible to stay centered, spiritually, when we are surrounded by office chatter, stress, gossip, and deadlines. With a boss pressing down on one side, and the worldly cares of coworkers hovering over our shoulder, we, like many Orthodox Christians, feel resigned to put on hold the things of God.
Many of today’s jobs require so much mental concentration, it can seem impossible to have even a fleeting moment with God. How does one keep our heart in Christ, when a coworker is standing in our cubicle, whispering the latest office gossip? Is it even possible to be centered, spiritually, when the boss is adding one more deadline to the pile? Can one stay focused in the heart when a coworker is taking credit for work we’ve done? Can we have a Christ-like love for others, when we are forced to watch workplace backstabbers do their thing?
My purpose for writing this blog has, from the very beginning, been a labor of love for people just like you, struggling, as you are, to live a Christian life in a setting that is anything but conducive to the inner life. From my monastic cell I pray for you, and try, in my meager way, to offer a small blessing for you, one that can help you get through your day, and make progress on the Path to God, while mired in a spiritually hostile setting.
The daily photos, essays, biblical passages, and the posted lives of the saints, are all my offerings to you, so in those fleeting office moments, you can take a spiritual break, and be renewed. For those of you who are prevented from having religious items in your office, such as icons, you can visit my blog, and often see photos of the interior of our little temple, all the while balancing your secular work and your spiritual work.
I try to keep the topics of my daily essays relevant to the needs of fellow Orthodox Christians, but often fail, I’m sure. However I may fail in writing something inspiring, or uplifting, I still provide you with the daily scripture readings, and the lives of the saints. As well, I try to post photos that provide you with a little reprieve from the sameness of your work environment.
Even if you do not have access to a computer at your workplace, you can still take a few moments before you head off for the day to read The Morning Offering. Although I am not a theologian, nor a great spiritual father, it is my prayer that this little work of mine will be a blessing to you, by helping you walk with Jesus Christ each and every work day.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
About the author
Fr. Tryphon is the Abbot of the Monastery of the All-Merciful Saviour, which was established in 1986 by Archimandrite Dimitry (Egoroff) of blessed memory. The Monastery is under the omophore of His Eminence Kyrill, Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America, of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
3 thoughts on “Work”
Abbot Tryphon - thank you for all of your gifts to us. Your efforts have helped this Orthodox Christian greatly! I have recently been trying to make Christ my life, and put the world in the container 'church' used to reside in on Sunday's. Your efforts have been enormously helpful!
I’m a busy mama of 6 and I look forward to your writings daily. Today I received in the mail my order of Deacons Decaf (a 5 lb bags) soaps, incense, a beautiful prayer rope, and a copy of your book. I love all of these items and I love supporting your monastic community more. Thank you and may God bless you.
Our jobs often do get in the way of prayer and spiritual development. It's difficult to strike a balance sometimes when you have a busy schedule. There's a reason why we do a rule of prayer: it's a schedule. We need to schedule the time to go to services and to pray.