"for various holy orders and positions"

If you opened up your catechism to section 3 when you were reading the last post, you may have noticed the surprising sub-heading for the “Table of Duties”: “Certain passages of Scripture for various holy orders and positions, admonishing them about their duties and responsibilities.”

Holy orders!?!   That’s surprising enough, but then the list of “various holy orders” includes “hearers”, civil government, citizens, husbands, wives, parents, children, workers of all kinds, employers and supervisors, youth, widows, and even “everyone.”  

How can a list that includes “everyone” be a list of “holy” (i.e., set apart) orders?!?  Because this catechism is written for Christians!  And when Christians “go to work,” they are sent out into the world as God’s co-creators and Gospel ambassadors.  God is at work in the world through you!  And that makes your “day job” a holy work.

Does God work through engineers, secretaries and professional athletes who are not Christians?  Does He accomplish good things through them, too?  Yes, He does!  But as a Christian, you have a special calling as you go about your “day job.”  You share the Gospel in your words and deeds as you do your job!  In fact, you reveal Christ in your job.

“What Would Jesus Do?” has become a very popular slogan among Christians in the last few decades.  It’s meant to remind us that we want to follow the example of our Lord as we go through life.  And when it comes to doing our day job, that means we want people to see what “Jesus the engineer” or “Jesus the secretary” or “Jesus the professional athlete” looks like.