This post isn't exactly a political thread but considering the context this category seems appropriate. I thought about applying for a web design job at an evangelical church until I saw the following in the job description: Spiritual Development • Support and model individual spiritual formation i.e. Worship, Grow and Serve. (Weekly worship, prayer, scripture reading; small group, volunteering, etc.) Plus my website with work samples has drawings of sperm ... I'm tempted to send the link just to see their reaction...
I'm guessing that those are laudable goals but I really don't understand 1) what they mean in the first place and 2) how that stuff relates to web design. "Model individual spiritual formation"? I didn't realize that meaningless business-speak had infected our churches.
Let's just keep beating on Christians today. Is Bobby Convey no longer available to serve as the dead horse?
I think what they are trying to say is that they want to hire somebody who shares their beliefs and who will be willing to associate with members of the church and participate in their activities. If you don't feel confortable doing that, then you probably should not apply for that job.
I've been involved with two faith-based projects. One was a house-building project in Tijuana organized by a Pentacostal Church. Very evangelical, two hours of vespers every night in a revival tent, followed by singing. We had a great time, but I think they noticed that no one in my family had a bible. The other is a Green building project with the local Jesuits group. In each case, the people were very spiritual, and not very dogmatic. You could have a great time, and really have your eyes opened. FWIW, I am not a Christian.
I feel they were very specific in terms of how they expect their web design gal or guy to spend their free time: attending weekly worship, joining in prayer and in scripture reading at the Church, volunteering additional time to Church activities, et cetera. Where they made their mistake is by classifying that as individual formation of the spirit. That's about as spiritually nourishing, a spiritually growth-related, as the entire dogma is, over the long run, because you are not in fundamental relationship with the nonviolent loving that is Christ's Greatest Commandments, and the essence of his Sermon on the Mount, which refutes, along with the Great Commandments, the scriptural equivalency that scripture reading and weekly worship PROMOTE. Now if they had said, in addition to your duties as a web designer for the church, we'd specifically hope that you'd practice loving the Creator of the Universe as well as nonviolent loving of everyone, all the time...it's good for the spirit!, well, that would have made alot more sense to me. But I'm crazy! WHOOOOOOOOO! (does Jon Stewart / Wolf Blitzer interview spin in chair)
http://www.fiona.co.jp/images/PICTURE_BOOK/KINDERGARTEN/OTHER_PAPER/JETHRO_JOEL_PEET.jpg I'm getting more furry in my old age, but nothing's turning blue; if I wake up with another fvcking HEAD, I'll certainly heed your advice.