September 2005

ARTICLE TOOLS

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LIFE@WORK: Marketplace Success for People of Faith
John C. Maxwell, Stephen R. Graves, Thomas G. Addington
Nelson Business, 240 pp., $22.99

Is work a four-letter word? We are created to live seamlessly in both the world of faith and the world of work, the authors say. But the church and the office talk different languages, and both demand allegiance. How do the two mesh?

The authors set out to help Christians be comfortable and intentional in using information that will feel familiar to readers of similar books. They focus on four fundamentals: skill, calling, serving, and character.

Our divine job assignment is our calling, "God's personal invitation for me to work on his agenda, using the talents I have been given in ways that are eternally significant." Although difficult to pin down, they suggest finding our calling by assessing our desires, a longstanding sense of urgency, or our skill sets (the unique abilities we have been gifted with). Serving is our expression of work to others, and character (integrity and consistency) binds it all together.

Motivational anecdotes rub shoulders with stories of biblical characters. The authors also call for the church to restructure so that it might better integrate faith and career, although they offer few specifics on accomplishing this.

Wonder, awe, and amazement are on every page.

THE POWER OF HOSPITALITY: An open heart, open hand, and open home will change your world
Chuck and Kathie Crismier
Elijah Books, 348 pp., $15.99

Hospitality is not something Christians should practice because they have a gift for it—it is a spiritual imperative, say national radio host Chuck Crismier and his wife, Kathie. In this motivational, sometimes preachy, ...