Articles & Writings
The Washington Institute seeks to provide an array of resources to help nurture thinking about the wider world and and the joyful responsibility that is ours to history and to the world as we explore our common life together.
Articles & Writings
Christ in the Marketplace
Articles | BartholomewWhen people hear my story I am often asked, “How did you go from seminary to business?” While at Regent I studied the original language for the word “ministry” which comes from the root word for “service.” In a very real sense all of us in this room perform a service, a ministry, in the marketplace everyday.
A Reason for Being
Articles | GarberFor people who care about America and its history—past, present, and future -- the stakes are not small, for the church and for the culture. It is for this reason that The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation, and Culture has come into being. With a vision that is at the same time very local and embodied, and very national and international, we are a network of men and women who are learning about the meaning of vocation, of what it means to hear God as he calls people to care for the world in his name. We believe it is a strategic place to begin— seeking the renewal of our common life as we do so.
A Wound in My Heart Has Been Healed
Articles | GarberOn Kenya, Kazakhstan, and K Street too
Why is it that when we pray together as the people of God gathered for worship on Sunday, we regularly pray for our missionaries in Kenya and Kazakhstan, but not for our attorneys on K Street?
Blood Water Mission: One band's journey from Nashville to Africa
Articles | GarberWhy is it that some people see themselves as implicated in the way the world is, and isn’t? in the way things are, and ought to be? There is nothing in the record deal signed by the Jars of Clay that requires them to care about the complexities of Africa, particularly about the structural problems that are horribly difficult and so very long-term. There are no cheap fixes. Only deep commitment, a sense of responsibility marked by love, will do.
Finding Your True Vocation
Articles | BluntMention the word calling or vocation, particularly to a Christian, and you uncover for many a raw wound. We are finding that out as different people respond to the name of this organization on the website, in a casual conversation, or when they listen to a talk we might give. The words may differ, but the angst is very similar:
God is Always Calling
ArticlesOne thing I know for sure as I approach my 50th year: Understanding one’s calling is an ongoing process of discovery, and calling doesn’t have to be limited to one area. I continue to find new aspects of calling announcing themselves in different chapters of our lives, and I don’t suppose the revelation is over yet.
Ideas and Giants
Articles | HaseltineI have no sense of exactly when I first became aware that deep within my soul, or more precise, deep within my gut, an ache and a restlessness, a physical response to things not right in the world, had grown. I had a revelation that once I was just an innocent bystander but I had been chosen to become owner or steward of pain and suffering that I only just observed in the lives of other people.
Interview with Brewing Culture's Erik Lokkesmoe
ArticlesYou can tell when you encounter an artist that weaves the four elements into their work, into their faith. It is seamless. They cannot help but create work that serves God and neighbor; it is simply overflowing into their work.
Jefferson and Wilberforce: Leaders Who Shaped Their Times, Part I
Articles | BluntLeadership, even godly leadership, is not the sole province of the individual, but the 
outcomes are often shaped as much by those who advise, support, encourage, and come alongside a leader. It is within a network of relationships or of a like-minded community that the great movements of change occur. Those with whom leaders surround themselves, their choice of companions on the journey, help to make them who they are and determine what they can achieve. These colleagues also help to further shape and to sustain a transforming vision over time and bring it to reality. We have looked at the role of early mentors in shaping the commitments of Jefferson and Wilberforce; we now turn to examine how those around them later in life helped to sustain their purposes.
Leadership in the Crucible: The Paradox of Character and Power
Articles | BluntExploring three “courses” essential to learning to lead—reflective work that results in a guiding life worldview and purpose; learning from the life and experiences of mentors; and being part of a community of practice that learns together and holds each other accountable.