"...there is not one square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'"
Abraham Kuyper
Christ is sovereign over every area of life. No part of our lives can be stripped away from his presence. And as the Redeemer he will one day make all things new; redeeming our culture, our work and our communities. As his image-bearers we have the responsibility to be agents of renewal and redemption in a broken world: being in the culture, in the work place, in the city; cultivating and creating.
Work.
God gave Adam and Eve work before the Fall in the perfect garden, we were created to work and designed to work. Too many Christians stand outside culture looking in. Even those that see themselves as culturally engaged are often merely responding to culture. However, if we are to actually impact the culture and cultivate the garden as we were designed, we need to create and produce culture. One big way we do that is through our work. The Salt Lake Fellows do not believe that work is simply a means to a paycheck and security, but a daily act of worship, oikos evangelism, and image-bearing creativity!
N.T. Wright
"The gospel of Jesus points us to be at the leading edge of the whole culture, articulating in story and music and art and philosophy and education and poetry and theology...And if grasped by this vision, we may also hear the question: if not us, then who? And if the gospel of Jesus is not the key to this task, then what is?"
City.
We are called to live and work for the good of the city, so that the city may be a place of refuge, relief, economic growth, and flourishing. Salt Lake City is a diverse place. Mormonism is ingrained in the culture, while the city is also filled with a young generation of spiritual wanderers and agnostics and those leaving the Mormon church. Being a large refugee city creates an international flare to Salt Lake that boldens the flavor of the dining scene. Restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, tech startups, global finance and outdoor companies fill the urban areas, while the University of Utah continues to be a leader in the future of medicine. There is a large LGBT community, a huge music scene and "support local" mentality. In Salt Lake City unemployment is low, adventure is high and people are collaborative.
When the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile in Babylon, God commanded them to be in the culture and in the city so that the city may flourish, while also maintaining their identity as the people of God. The Salt Lake Fellows are committed to seeking the peace and prosperity of Salt Lake City, Utah, creating culture and loving community for the Kingdom of God!
When the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile in Babylon, God commanded them to be in the culture and in the city so that the city may flourish, while also maintaining their identity as the people of God. The Salt Lake Fellows are committed to seeking the peace and prosperity of Salt Lake City, Utah, creating culture and loving community for the Kingdom of God!
Jeremiah 29:4-7
"This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”