But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. [Matthew 24:13]

The most essential characteristic for you to [fill in the blank] (finish well; succeed, live a life well-lived; do a job well-done; demonstrate a redeemed life) is…

Perseverance.

Whether it’s longevity in ministry.

Or caring for an aging parent.

Or loving a prodigal child.

Or sticking with a marriage that has hit a tough patch.

Or entering a rehab or AA program.

Or maintaining that new workout regimen.

Or beginning a graduate school program.

Or…

Perseverance is what will “save” you in the end. That ability to keep going, to persist to the end even when difficulties arise. A common biblical metaphor for our lives is running a race. By God’s grace and strength and our own personal disciplines we can run with perseverance the race set before us. And lest we forget the example of others in our life: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us ,fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:1–2).

Just another day at the office
I truly enjoy working with the staff at Trinity. We are a mix of hard work and good-natured fun; of biblical wisdom and good ol’ practicality and smarts. Since COVID, it’s rather well-documented that the office/work culture and dynamic has changed a lot. And not necessarily for the better. How’s yours? Here are some new buzzwords that I wasn’t aware of that can affect and even afflict the office culture. (See if you recognize any of these worker phenomena in yourself or your coworkers (or employees).

“Coffee Badging”: When a coworker makes quick, cameo appearances in the office, just long enough to be seen and grab a coffee, and then “poof!” they vanish to more secluded places of the office.

“Ghostworking”: Where workers make themselves appear busy without actually doing any work.

“Quiet Cracking”: (The cousin of “quiet quitting” and burnout) This is the erosion of workplace satisfaction from within an employee’s psyche and motivation.

“Clock Botching”: When an employee is physically present at work but mentally checked out.

Guy Thornton, founder of the U.K.-based employee testing service PracticeAptitudeTests, describes clock botching as a worker stretching out a mundane “two-hour task across an entire day, half-engaging on video calls, or generally drifting through the workday while running on empty.”

Christianity and the Middle East
Arab Evangelical Leadership:
Whereas some of us might confuse “Arab” with “Muslim,” it may surprise you that “Arab Christian” is not an oxymoron. As a matter of fact, Botrus Mansour, a church leader from Nazareth, has been appointed the new Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), an historic occasion for Arab Christians. The WEA, established in 1846, has a mission to unite, serve, and speak as a trusted voice for over 600 million evangelical Christians in more than 140 countries. For Arab evangelicals, Mansour’s appointment is very significant. Many see it as an affirmation of their place within the global evangelical family, long dominated by leaders from North America and Europe.

The Academic Dean of Nazareth Evangelical College, Dr. Hanna Katancho, emphasized the spiritual symbolism of the appointment: “God has honored the Church of Palestine by choosing its son, the servant of Christ, Boutros Mansour. We pray that the Lord will use him to emphasize the centrality of Christ, the lover of humanity, and to correct any evangelical paths that have deviated from this centrality.”

Iran, dangerous for Christians:
More than 20 Christians have been recently arrested in Iran as part of a crackdown on religious freedom following the ceasefire between Iran, Israel, and the United States.

Charges brought against Christians by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence have not been made public, but several are believed to center around the possession of Bibles as well as a newly proposed law that threatens brutal repercussions for working with what the regime brands “hostile states.”

Without comment

A Labor Day prayer for perseverance
“Our Father in Heaven,

You are the Creator of all things who neither slumbers nor sleeps. Thank you for tirelessly watches over your people. And for giving us the mandate and skills to work faithfully in this world.

Lord, we confess how easily we grow slack in our responsibilities. We admit that we are often tempted by laziness or coasting or resting on our laurels. Forgive us when we leave work undone or give a half-hearted effort. Forgive us when we lose sight of the value of the work you have given us to do.

Father, we ask for wisdom and discernment in our daily work. Help us to appreciate the value in both the work we enjoy and what we find to be a drag. Strengthen our hands and hearts for the work you have entrusted to us. Give us perseverance when the days are long and the work burdensome. When no one appreciates our effort or says thank you, remind us that you do.

Teach us to work not for the approval of others but as unto you. Help us to be faithful in the little things, courageous in the big things, and faithful in all things.

We pray all this in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.”