THE ECONOMY

Everyone's got a worry about, or a view on, the current economic situation. Here are a few items to browse.

2)The Church of England has produced some new prayers on redundancy and those remaining in workplaces. CoE Prayers on Redundancy

3) There has been a request for any thoughts on a Christian perspective on the economic situation. Do you have anything to offer: Thoughts on economic situation

This is a challenge to provoke your thoughts - and responses. See end for the questions!

At our Church prayer meeting last week (Tuesday 17th February) the leader used 1 John 5v11-15 as a scriptural starting point. Verse 14,15 state that 'This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him.'

Such confidence is this! We can have whatever we ask of Him - providing we ask for what is according to His will. That might be the tricky side of it. How do we know His will, is the eternal question of Christian people down the ages.

The 'financial upheaval' in the nation was one of the items on his list of things for us to pray about.

Confidence - or rather lack of it - is such a prominent feature of the times we are all living through. People lose jobs when customers don't want to buy goods or services. Customers are less keen to buy when money is short and may get shorter yet. Customers in turn need income in order to buy, usually through sale of other goods or services, often as employed labour.

So we all need buying and selling to go on, so that our own jobs may last a bit longer - or do we? If less buying and selling is done, values of goods and services drop and so do money and savings.

At the other end of the economic cycle there have been the years of overstretching, when many people and organisations have committed to purchases which have involved 'mortgaging the future' on the assumption that paying back is always possible to do. Eventually this had to catch up with us, and we are all collectively (whether guilty of being overspent or not) caught up in down spiral that has resulted.

Ken Costa, in his talk at the launch of GodatWork, referred to the fine line between overspending that is unsustainable, and necessary spending in order that the economy can survive. He stated his belief that governments have a duty to spend in order to try to push the economy into better times. Do you agree with him?

Bishop Tony prompted the audience that evening, to place a value on different types of work. His punch-line was that unless your work involves you in criminal or immoral activity then God give that work 10 out of 10!

Ok, fine. God values everything His people do, as long we are living in His will - back to I John 5v14 there. But, surely, the economy is telling us to re-evaluate work (at least where it involves money transactions) in terms of doing what is necessary and not what isn't! Ok, we can all have 60 million different views on what is 'necessary' work, but the point remains that the economy will keep telling us to focus on necessary work as long we keep doing work that isn't necessary. Do you agree with that one?

Of course, for the Christian worker (whether paid or voluntary or informal work), we know that our confidence is not in earthly things. Matthew 6v25-34 is the Sermon on the Mount reminder to worry not about earthly things, but rather to focus on treasure in heaven (v19-24.) But don't we all need earthly things? How far do you go to protect your job?

3) Does Christian confidence lead us to a different course of action from others?

4) Does Christian confidence incline us to be less protectionist of our jobs and money?

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This is a response from Rev. Dr. Moira Biggins, Airport Chaplain and IMD Council Member:

"It’s said that the people of Britain were well-nourished during the Second World War, in spite of food shortages, because the rationing system ensured people had they needed. That was possible because nutrition is a well-understood science.

What work “nourishes” our society and what doesn’t? Clearly some work is vital to human survival: growing and selling food, for example. Some is not strictly necessary, but life would be sad without it; imagine a world with nobody making music. Some we can well do without (readers, insert your own pet hate here).

The economic crisis is starting to make people ask what’s valuable to them, and what’s not. Of course every person will have their own opinions. But I do believe that if we try to answer the questions honestly, and change our behaviour in the light of the answers, we will move towards a saner and more sustainable way of living."

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Thank you, Moira. Please email in with your thoughts on all this. Or I may have to do another sequel to the above!

New prayers for those affected by redundancy published on CofE website

The Church of England has published two new prayers to comfort people made redundant, and those remaining in the workplace following a round of redundancies, at the beginning of a year in which the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has predicted that at least 600,000 people could lose their jobs.

The ‘Prayer on being made redundant’ helps to put into words the anxieties of those who are losing - or who have already lost - their job in the wave of recent redundancies. It includes the verse: “Hear me as I cry out in confusion, help me to think clearly, and calm my soul.”

The ‘Prayer for those remaining in the workplace’ focuses on the guilt and increased workload associated with redundancy. It asks of God: “In the midst of this uncertainty, help me to keep going: to work to the best of my ability, taking each day at a time.”

The Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, Rt Revd John Packer, Chairman of the Church of England’s Stewardship Committee, said the prayers emphasise how the Church is there for people at all times – especially in times of crisis. He said: “This is a pastoral initiative. We need to be on the look out to support those facing redundancy. Neighbourliness is so important in crisis situations, whether it’s offering people new prayers to God, or by simply being there with a listening ear.”

The prayers are the latest release from the Church of England website’s Matter of Life and Debt section. They are offered alongside common sense advice for those with financial worries from Resources and Stewardship Officer, Dr John Preston. These include helpful resources for working out a balanced household budget; and other prayers and intercessions for those worried about debt, suitable for church and personal use.

‘Prayer on being made redundant’ and ‘Prayer for those remaining in the workplace’ are published online at www.cofe.anglican.org/prayers, and also feature in an A5 leaflet containing some of the Matter of Life and Debt material. This leaflet is available for local parishes to print out and distribute in their church, at www.cofe.anglican.org/debt.

Prayer on being made redundant

‘Redundant’ – the word says it all -
‘useless,

unnecessary,

without purpose,

surplus to requirements.’

Thank you, Heavenly Father, that in the middle of
the sadness,

the anger,

the uncertainty,

the pain,

I can talk to you.

Hear me as I cry out in confusion,
help me to think clearly,
and calm my soul.

As life carries on,
may I know your presence with me
each and every day.

And as I look to the future,
help me to look for fresh opportunities, for new directions.
Guide me by your Spirit,
and show me your path,

through Jesus, the way, the truth and the life. Amen.

Prayer for those remaining in the workplace

Life has changed:
colleagues have gone – redundant, out of work.
Suddenly, what seemed so secure is now so very fragile.

It’s hard to know what I feel:
        sadness, certainly,
        guilt, almost, at still having a job to go to,
        and fear of the future:
                who will be next?
                how will I cope with the increased pressure of work?

Lord Jesus, in the midst of this uncertainty, help me to keep going:
        to work to the best of my ability,
        taking each day at a time,
        and taking time each day to walk with you

for you are the way, the truth and the life. Amen.

Notes

The Prayer for the Current Financial Situation has been viewed over 30,000 times since it was published online in September; it is available online at www.cofe.anglican.org/prayers/#financial.

The Prayers for Today page of the Church of England website at www.cofe.anglican.org/prayers also contains many other useful contemporary prayers - covering issues such as exam stress, and world peace.

Surveys conducted in recent years indicate that around two-thirds of UK adults pray, leading the Church of England’s Head of Research and Statistics, the Revd Lynda Barley, to describe prayer as “one of the best kept secrets in modern Britain”. A Populas survey for The Sun, June 2005, found 65 per cent of adults in Britain said they prayed; The British Social Attitudes survey, 1998, found that 66 per cent of adults pray.

Request for thoughts on a Christian take on the current economic situation

The Rolls_Royce chaplains are aiming to produce a presentation reflecting a Christian take on the current economic situation.

They are asking if anyone has any thoughts that can be incorporated into this. If you have any thoughts, then please email the IMD office on mailto:imd02@queenshall.plus.com and we will be pleased to pass these to the RR chaplains.