Last week we connected a vineyard in Matthew 21:33-41 with the garden of Eden. We noted that work is a good…an act of service even to the point of worship. When we fulfill our Genesis 2:15 commission “to work it and take care of it” we are placing worth and value on creation—a “worth-ship” if you will. In fact, that’s what worship means—to attribute value or worth on something outside of us. So work is about stewarding the vineyard/garden—a worthy calling that helps us fulfill our purpose on earth. 

Last August I was in Istanbul, Turkey to speak at a Business as Mission conference on serving leadership. Business leader and friend--Patrick Lai--gave me his latest book called “Workship.” I was having trouble sleeping due to jetlag, so I thought I’d read it to put me back to sleep. It didn’t. I finished the whole thing that night! Now here’s what Patrick Lai pointed out in his book that was so astounding: The Hebrew text in the Bible has one root for our English words translated as WORK, SERVE, and WORSHIP. 

Now to be clear, in the strictest sense, another Hebrew word exists for “worship,” literally meaning “to prostrate oneself.” But English translators have chosen to use WORK, SERVE, and WORSHIP at different times throughout the text when translating from this Hebrew root ["Avodah"]. 

So again, our work and service ought to be an act of worship. In other words, whatever we do ought to be focused outside of us, placing worth and value on others and something greater than us. We have this principle of “work-ship” established from the beginning of time. 

I want you to also note that in Genesis 1:28, God commanded the human beings He had created to subdue the earth and rule over it. This does not mean that we indiscriminately abuse or waste our resources, but it also means that we don’t worship creation in the place of God or preserve it at the expense of humanity. Next week we will pick it up from there with Cecil the Lion and Harambe the Gorilla.