Whitney Wherrett Roberson, an Episcopal priest, is associate pastor of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and director of the Spirituality at Work program there. She leads conferences, retreats, and training programs on this topic. In this user-friendly resource, Roberson presents all that you need to start a workplace spirituality group. Although most of the themes, images, and references are Christian, the material can be used by people of all religions.
The basic process here is soul-making, which Thomas Moore has defined as "the long process of taking the raw material life gives us, then making something out of it. The truth is, the whole world and all of life are nothing but the raw materials for soul-making." Our work can give expression to the essence of our spirit and being. But keeping the soul alive in the contemporary workplace is an arduous challenge given all the stress, competition, gossip, comparisons, fear of termination, struggles with boredom. Today's workers constantly face the ethical rigors of sidestepping cheating and stealing. They have to maintain their self-esteem when the rules of corporate gamesmanship tend to instill self-doubt.
Roberson correctly points out that meaning-making at work is a necessity and soul-making groups can meet that need beautifully.
In a section called "The Basics," she explains that spirituality at work is about shalom and abundant life. The people who started the Spirituality at Work program agreed on the following assumptions:
• Spirit is real and supports life and wholeness.
• Human beings are invited to participate in the lifle=giving wholeness of the Divine.
• Divine mystery is present everywhere and is not "tame."
Spiritual wisdom is available to all who seek it.
Roberson includes information on starting and facilitating a discussion. She gives sample agendas for conversations on understanding workplace culture, meaning-making at work, time and its meaning, connecting money with meaning, emotions at work, the Divine at work, reflecting with the Tao, soul at work, change (transforming or traumatic?), and holiday issues in the workplace. The last section of this paperback contains other conversation formats for Spirituality at Work Groups including collaborative inquiry, discerning God's presence at work, and contemplative conversation. All of the material has been tested successfully in the San Francisco Bay area.
We believe that soul-making is the best way to make sense out of all the challenges, joys, and pleasures of work. This thoughtful and down-to earth resource is highly recommended to all religious people who want to deepen and enrich their work experiences and find ways of expressing their talents, creativity, imagination, and intuition on the job.
