American Home Shield 2002 Annual Report Download - page 26

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22 ServiceMaster
What a powerful reminder that right in the thick of things we can find
God at Work. Too often, we compartmentalize faith and work, thinking
that God has no relevance in the very place where we spend the majority
of our waking hours. Indeed, we create a lot of artificial barriers in life,
such as race, gender, nationality and religion. Some barriers can isolate
the very essence of who we are from what we do.
Our organization, The Avodah Institute seeks to help business people
cross one of these artificial barriers. Our mission statement is to help
leaders integrate the claims of their faith with the demands of their
work. Integration is the key word. While recognizing that faith and
work are different concepts, we also believe that they are related and
should be integrated. Indeed, the word Avodah is a biblical word, offering
uncommon wisdom for modern times. Avodah means both work and
worship; it recognizes the integrated nature of what we do and how we
do it. Our work can be a form of worship; a way of honoring God and
serving society. Indeed, the workplace can be “faith-friendly.” In fact,
The ServiceMaster Company was founded on faith-friendly values which
are alive in the lives of the employees who serve customers every day.
Now, we’re not suggesting you turn the workplace into a church, synagogue
or temple. Nor do we want the church to become a business. They are two
separate organizations with two different purposes in society. Nor are
we making a case for a particular religion or spiritual worldview to be a
company’s required belief.
What we are suggesting is that God did not intend for faith to be locked
away in weekend worship or stuck inside stained-glass windows, but to
be lived in all of daily life; in our families, our communities, and yes,
even in our places of work. Employees shouldn’t leave their soul in the
parking lot every day. Indeed, people are searching for meaning and
purpose in their work, significance in their success and dignity in their
daily labors. As such, people increasingly turn to their religious and
spiritual traditions for answers. Faith is a rich and powerful resource
for ethical guidance and spiritual nurture at work.