AN INTRODUCTION
Connecting Sunday faith with Monday-Saturday life.
"Let me tell you why you are here...You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world." (Matt. 5:13-14 MSG)
Bruce the Garbage Truck Driver
(A Spheres Story)
Bruce was a man of faith with a big heart in a dead-end job: he was a garbage truck driver.
Sundays were particularly difficult for Bruce. He loved God, loved church, but continually struggled with feeling bad about how ‘bad’ he felt on Sundays—the good feelings he felt at church seemed to evaporate on the way home; and Sundays meant Monday was about 16 hours closer. He hated Mondays. He was a garbage truck driver.
One Sunday at church, he was feeling particularly depressed thinking about Monday. Big-Smile Bill approached and gave him a friendly arm punch. “Why so down, my friend?”
“I show up here every week, feel great, then feel terrible for the rest of the day. Tomorrow’s Monday. I hate my job. I’m a garbage truck driver.”
“And I’m a janitor!” Bill offered with a confident smile. “Look at our hands,” Bill offered as he held out his own. “God gave us strong hands to do the same kind of work He does and has been doing since the first days of Creation—cleaning up messes humans make. Every garbage bin I empty, every floor I mop, every smudge I clean off the window, I see my hands as God’s hands working to make and keep His world beautiful. In a way, it’s like I’m washing the feet of the world…just like Jesus.”
Bruce laughed. He thought Bill was joking. Bill was not. He was seriously happy. Bruce looked at his own hands, permanently stained with the evidence of his work. “You seriously think that way about your job?” he asked Bill.
“I do. Listen, you free Wednesday night? Why don’t you come to my Sphere’s group?”
“Yeah, I’m free. And come to your what?”
“I’ll pick you up at 7:00.”
[Fast forward. Wednesday night…]
“A win this week? One great thing about being a janitor at a school—you’ve got the super-power of invisibility; students barely know you exist.” Big-Smile Bill was speaking to the small group around the table. “I get to observe a lot. This week I feel like God gave me new eyes to see some of the students I’ve loathed; I’ve mostly thought they were punks but now I’m seeing hurt hearts. Sweeping the floors turned into prayer time for them. One of them even smiled at me this week. THAT is a win!”
Everyone laughed, including Bruce. Bill’s was the last in a string of similar stories people had shared—an Amazon delivery guy who prays for the recipients of his deliveries; a janitor at a bank who was able to encourage an employee working after-hours; a server covering a shift for a single-parent co-worker with a sick kid and gave her co-worker all the tips (a ‘God-nudge’ she called it); a guy who works at the recycling depot who kept his cool with a chronically late employee. Then one person read from the Bible and shared a few thoughts: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
A thought struck Bruce and he remembered Bill’s comment: ‘I see my hands as God’s hands working to make and keep His world beautiful.’ Bruce imagined what his route would look like without garbage pick-up. Someone else shared a quote they’d heard recently: ‘If it falls to your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, or Beethoven composed music…Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well.’
“Hey could you repeat that?” Bruce asked. “And what was that verse you read? I want to stick that quote in my truck!” As the meeting wrapped up, the group prayed for each other—simple, heartfelt prayers. Bruce felt something shift in his heart that night. And the next morning when Bruce got into his truck, he felt like he was on a mission—washing the feet of the world…just like Jesus.
Watch 'Bruce the Garbage Truck Driver'
DISCUSS:
What impacted you about Bruce’s story?
Do you ever feel like Bruce when it comes to work/school/responsibilities? In what way?
MAIN IDEA:
Do you connect with any of these statements:
‘How can I live a more meaningful life?’
‘How am I supposed to serve God when my life is full and I barely have extra time or energy for anything?’
‘My day consists of changing diapers, breaking up fights over toys, and trying to keep the house clean for 5 minutes – how is this living a life of significance?’
‘I drive a truck all day long – how is that making a difference?’
If so, you’re not alone. Many Jesus-followers feel a disconnect between their Sunday faith and their Monday-Saturday life; they find it difficult to see how their work, school or daily activities are relevant to what God is doing in the world or how they might make a difference in this life and eternity. This is where Spheres comes in.
SPHERES IN SOCIETY
Culture and society consists of 6 arenas or spheres of civilizational life:
1 – the GOOD - the realm of social mores & ethics (incl. families, parenting, early childhood dev., moral formation, charitable giving, volunteering, religious org's., charities, schools, community centres, sports, social svcs, farmer's markets, etc.)
2 - the TRUE - the realm of human knowledge & learning (research, innovation, teaching, cultural & historical preservation, universities, libraries, public schools, public squares, media, job training centres, community gardens, etc..)
3 - the BEAUTIFUL - the realm of creativity, aesthetics, & design (incl. design, architecture, city planning, the arts, festivals, cultural entertainment, community planning, restaurants, public spaces, innovation, etc.)
4 – the JUST & WELL-ORDERED - the realm of political & civic life (incl. politics, civic engagement, law & order, community organizations., city planning, zoning, local govt, community centres, civic groups, public transpo & housing, etc.)
5 – the PROSPEROUS - the realm of economic life (incl. work, investment, capital exchange, land development, philanthropy, production, technology, innovation, industries, business, real estate, job training centres, vendors/markets, etc.)
6 – the SUSTAINABLE - the realm of the natural environment (incl. energy/land mgmt., public/human health, environ. regulations & advocacy, environmental org's, waste, sanitation, parks/forests, green infrastructure, foodbank, hospitals/clinics, etc.)
(*These categories are based on Thriving Cities Group’s “Human Ecology Framework https://thrivingcitiesgroup.com/ )
WHAT are Spheres?
Spheres is about bringing together believers who work in, spend a lot of time in, or are passionate about a particular arena or sphere. Through Jesus-centred affinity groups, believers build friendship, inspire, collaborate and strengthen one another to positively shape society in ways that reveal God’s redemptive purpose, His love for people, and reflect His new creation reality into that sector for its flourishing. This is what salvation is about; Jesus didn’t just save us from something; He saved us for something.
WHY Spheres?
We connect in a deeper way with people who share like-circumstances or like-passions—who know what the ‘wins’ feel like; who understand the challenges and sympathize with the frustrations; who can provide wisdom and insight from a mutual perspective.
WHO is Spheres for?
Anyone eager to explore how God has wired, called, and positioned you to be part of His work in your sphere of influence.
Spheres provide:
Fellowship that nourishes the life of Christ in followers—strong, refreshing, refuelling gatherings where believers are powerfully connected to the life of God.
Support-- through prayer, encouragement, perspective and wisdom for those facing challenges or difficulty as they endeavor to live and operate counter-culturally or even oppose forms of cultural idolatry in their industry.
Leadership that empowers— through formal and informal settings, equipping believers for their unique expression of ministry and living out Christian obedience in their sphere.
Spheres groups
1 - MEET MONTHLY - to grow, be encouraged, be strengthened; because we are refreshed & energized in face-to-face community
2 - CONNECT WEEKLY - virtually thru group chats, online group space, texts, etc, to encourage, be reminded we are not alone; share resources/ideas/great reports/prayer requests
3 - PRAY DAILY - for each other; for the lost working in the industry; for the industry they are in; that God’s life and kingdom reality would be reflected in and thru the industry
DISCUSS:
Which of the 6 spheres do you spend the most time in or have a passion for?
Jesus instructed us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:9) What would it look like for God’s Kingdom to come and will to be done in your sphere?
SCRIPTURE & QUOTES:
Colossians 3:17 MSG - Let every detail in your lives— words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT - So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
“God’s mission is not merely to clean us up so we can live with Him in heaven, but to clean up creation so He can come back and live here with us. God’s mission is to return the world to what it’s supposed to be.” – Symphony of Mission
Resources to check out...