My boss is a Jewish Carpenter #1: Our Work Ministry

just pulling this more into the woodworking world… how do we balance our lives with the woodworking and other responsibilities that we have? somehow we find a way – most of the time. Sometimes we go in waves of woodworking and then other things and then come back to woodworking again.

Whether a woodworker is a religious person or not it seems to me that the woodworking process is very connected to the rhythms of life. For some my guess is that it is the most spiritual part of their lives. You get in the zone and it it just “you” and the moment.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

I appreciate your post Rob.

Thank you for that, you took me to that place in time for a moment. Blessed Easter to you Rob.

-- Dooley, Wheat Ridge, Colorado http://www.facebook.com/joshua.whaley

Rob,

I don’t know if it is appropriate or not, but I don’t mind reading it. Preach on Brother!

I will add that one thing that got me into wanting to start woodworking was that Jesus was a carpenter. Now, I don’t know if that is a bad translation of the word or not, but I don’t think it would have changed my decision to start woodworking because I don’t think I would find myself wanting to build brick walls if it were translated as a stone mason instead of a carpenter. But the idea that He worked and toiled with His hands for the vast majority of His life made me feel guilty about sitting in an office, and that it was led me to wanting to do something more physical. And I think it is thinking of Him using hand tools that made me really think long and hard on how I wanted to set up shop. And I finally decided, if hand tools were good enough for Jesus, they will be good enough for me. (Alright, I’ll admit, this thought really occurred to me later after deciding a power tool shop would be far longer in the future than I wanted to wait.) I know this isn’t the slippery slope that most hand tool enthusiasts follow, but it was a very steep and slippery one for me.

Rob,

A simple thanks for the post hardly seems adequate as I can usually be more verbose, but in this case I feel that a more lengthy response would not do anything to expand/enhance your message.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Thankyou so much !!! It is a special time in the lives of a great many people who love the Lord. And it is a time when we ask our selves ,’‘was it I? ” WAS IT I !! O yes it was!!!! But God is so good that Christ came here to say to all of us “Yes, and lets move on all to gather” And so it is. Thanks again for your time.

-- Saved, and so grateful, consider who Created it ALL!!!

I think your post was appropriate for this day as we remember the atonement and sacrifice of our Lord and Savior. If there are those who do not believe in Christ, please skip this post and allow us the freedom to feel on this day. The Lord gave all of us agency to choose how they would live. I think that while Jesus was working wood he still found many opportunities to bear witness of his Heavenly Father as we still do today. Some times our best testimony is merely being an example of how to live our lives. May the blessed joy of Easter be with you.

-- Thos. Angle

That was very well said Thomas.

Yes Thomas, there will be some that feel that this is a woodworking site only. For us woodworking is an important part of our lives and living for Christ is also an important part of our lives. They both go together. That’s just the way we are. That’s what makes us tick.

-- Ron in Osseo, Minnesota

I feel that maybe I need to apologize. I had no intention of inducing division or inviting controversy. I don’t think that any of the posts have been inappropriate and I hope we continue to welcome all comments and respect the way God uses chances like these to offer His salt and light to the world. I just wanted to highlight the thought that we could use our everyday actions to honour our Creator and in doing so, the act of woodworking could become an act of worship. Just as Jesus did.

-- www.robneves.com

Rob, you did not introduce controversy or division. No one has responded in any way inappropriate. My only intent was to allow all to exercise their free agency and allow the rest of us to do likewise. You certainly do not need to apologize.

-- Thos. Angle

Rob, very nice post. I think that everyone has a right to express their faith or lack there of. I personally have seen Christ at work in my life and the life of my family. My son is a walking example that prayer is powerfull. In 2001 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor (about the size of a small baseball) He wasn’t given much of a chance to lead a normal life, now he is 16 and has all the normal teenage issues but none that are a result of the tumor. Your faith is a part of who you are and what you do. Please feel free to express that. To hide your faith from others is wrong, someone may need to hear what you have to say.

-- Greg - Charles Town, WV

Thanks Thomas, I was fairly certain that was your intent. I just didn’t want the possiblity of distraction to enter into this series of beautiful posts. I feel humbled to hear the work of the Lord alive in your lives.

-- www.robneves.com

Nice post, Rob, thanks for that. And since this is your own personal blog (albeit under the LJ umbrella), I think you should feel free to say whatever you want. No one has to click on the link to read it! I’m a power tool atheist (I don’t believe they exist in Malaysia) so I just don’t click on posts that are clearly focused on power tools. ;^)

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot more about this holistic kind of living, and I think you’re right on. People think that certain jobs are higher up on the “spiritual” ladder, whereas I think what God really wants is someone who is giving their lives to him, regardless of the occupation.

Happy Easter. He is risen!

-- Eric at http://adventuresinwoodworking.com

Thanks, Romans5:5. Good thoughts.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

I think we all struggle to realize on a daily basis that God is present in the chisel, in the hammer, behind the desk, on the freeway, in the shop . . . Jesus already knew that as He worked quietly and carefully doing whatever menial or routine task that was laid before Him until, in God’s time, he stepped out onto the path that had been prepared for Him. He died for us, but He lived for God, giving glory to the Father even after His death.

I hope everyone has a Blessed Easter.

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

Something to consider about that Jewish carpenter … it wasn’t the same as being a carpenter today. Back then a carpenter was a highly skilled individual and probably higher on the economic scale than the typical clerk of the day. The idea of a poor carpenter is probably less than accurate. Carpenters were in high demand since the Romans liked their pretty stuff. Office workers, on the other hand, were a dime a dozen.

-- Working at Woodworking http://www.VillageLaneFurniture.com

Rob: I hadn’t read this when It was first presented but I love it. Thanks for feeling the love of God to create it and give it freely to all of us that want to accept. †

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †