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The Spiritual Art of Business: Connecting the Daily with the Divine

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We want the thousands of hours we will work over our lifetime to matter. But how do we know they're really significant? How do we go from being defined by what we do to having our work become an expression of who we are? There is not a quick fix but a progressive it begins with surrendering our whole lives and then every moment of our lives to God. In The Spiritual Art of Business , "corporate mystic" Barry Rowan invites us to be transformed by God that he might transform the world through us as we begin to see our work as an extension of our faith. He says, "We don't derive meaning from our work; we bring meaning to our work." Relating his extensive past in high-ranking executive roles, Rowan beckons us into a connection with God that will infuse our lives, our offices, and our world with meaning. With forty short chapters, this is not just a book to be read but instead is an invitation into an experience with God. Here's an opportunity to ponder new perspectives and see business as a chance to serve God by contributing to a better society.

176 pages, Paperback

Published September 5, 2023

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Barry L. Rowan

2 books3 followers

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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Peter Helm.
13 reviews4 followers
September 6, 2024
A helpful devotional for anyone interested in business building and creating, or for anyone who wants to generally be a Christian in this world.

Barry’s writing and thoughts are deeply rooted in the Western Christian tradition, pulling from both Roman Catholic and Protestant thinkers. He addresses some of the more fundamental attitudes and conditions of the human heart.

His goal of the book is to encourage and exhort.

One strength is his command of Scripture in the book. He utilized Scripture as pertaining to many areas of life and of the human heart.

A second strength was Barry’s own life experience as an Executive at many companies and even his experiences of transformation by the gospel. He shares some stories of his encounters with trials and temptations and stories also of self sacrifice and service. His message seems to be backed up by a life welled lived.
Profile Image for Lori Neff.
Author 5 books33 followers
March 31, 2023
Wise insights about the ways God transforms our hearts and minds in the workplace.
Profile Image for Bob.
2,464 reviews728 followers
January 26, 2024
Summary: An exploration of how God can work through our work and how God may work in the world through our work.

There is a popular perception that business is a soulless or soul-sucking enterprise. We hear of high-pressure business leaders demanding workers live at their place of work. We read stories of driven leaders who promise advancement in exchange for utter devotion, using people up and tossing them aside, without regard to the personal consequences. Must business be this way?

Barry L. Rowan has spent a life in business. He’s both succeeded and failing in turnaround efforts with companies, often within the C-suite, working in the communications and technology industry. His journey of connecting his daily work with the divine began with a personal turnaround story. At the age of 29 on a Colorado mountain, he faced a crisis of meaning. Why was he working so hard? His questioning led him from seeking meaning in his work to larger questions of his purpose in life, the existence of God, and if this was so, was he willing to utterly surrender his life to God? After six months of searching, of evaluating evidence he says, “I chose to believe that God exists, as the lawyers would say, on the preponderance of the evidence and would give up everything I have to follow Jesus” (p.2).

This book is a story not only of how Christ transformed his life but transformed his view of work. Instead of seeking meaning in work, he understood his calling as bringing meaning to work. He goes on to describe a four part cycle to what he calls “the spiritual art of business” and this book of 40 short chapters is organized around those four parts:

1. Surrender. We begin by surrendering our all to Jesus.
2. Transformation. Our lives are transformed as we go from living for ourselves to living according to God’s dynamic design.
3. New Creation. We are realigned with God’s purposes and we then live, work, and relate differently as new creations.
4. Into the World. God then sends us into the world and transforms the world through us.

The forty chapters that follow in these four part are short, pithy reflections beginning with a scripture text, a key idea, and a couple pages of elaboration with some explanation laced with examples and personal stories, concluded with a few reflection questions. I can see these chapters being read and pondered over morning coffee before heading out the door to work.

There is a lot more to this than an inspiring thought. Rowan makes us think, perhaps going through a process similar to his. One early chapter for example is titled “Our Essence Is Our Emptiness.” For scripture, he quotes Philippians 2:5-7 on how Christ made himself nothing as a servant and Galatians 2:20: “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” His key idea is “God empties us of ourselves and fills us with himself.” He explores the idea that only when we are emptied of the idea of filling our lives that we can experience union with God and find our fullness in God. He then describes a sustainable energy business that failed when oil prices tanked and described himself as D-E-A-D to Dreams, Expectations, Ambitions, and Desires. It brought him to a realization that even very good things could not fill him. Gritty stuff. The loss of money to investors and lost jobs Not “trust God and he will make all your dreams come true.”

Rowan’s book was released this fall. Not around Lent. But I think this would make a great set of readings for the forty days of Lent. Rowan re-traces our path to the cross as we surrender all, the transformation of resurrection, the new creations we are becoming as we are aligned with Jesus, and our sending into the world as God uses our work to change both us and the world. I could see this being used by workplace groups, perhaps over a brownbag lunch. The short readings lend themselves to being read onsite with a few questions, material that could be covered in 30-45 minutes.

Toward the end of the book, Rowan writes about the why of business, speaking of value creation, that business is the one place in society that creates economic value that others distribute; that businesses can create environments where employees grow into full expressions of themselves, in the place where the most of their waking hours are invested; that businesses serve customers, contributing to their flourishing; and being valued corporate citizens, enriching their communities. It strikes me that all of this is a manifestation of the goodness and providence of God in the world. Rowan shows the way we become God’s instruments for the good work he would do in the world.

____________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
104 reviews
August 12, 2024
In many ways, I found most of the content to be quite repetitive to what I've been living / wrestling with for the last 10-15 years. That said, there were some insights written simply and clearly that they struck me afresh. Rowan's decades of experience more than me is also important to note. He's been living this stuff a lot longer. Some chapters I slowly read, prayfully taking it in. Others I found myself skimming.

The first quote below is perhaps my greatest take-away. Worth the entire book's read for this alone. Reminds me of the Carl Yung quotation - man's sole purpose is to kindle the light of meaning into the darkness of mere being.

Notable cud to chew:

On finding meaning in work
- We don’t derive meaning from our work; we bring meaning to our work. And God’s perspective of our work is the source of its ultimate meaning.
- God uses our work to do his work in us. And as we are transformed by him, he will transform the world through us.
- That is, God calls us into the place of our strength but into positions beyond our strength.
- Business is the only institution that creates economic value. All other institutions distribute it.

On "who" vs. "what"
- Contentment comes from the company in our boat, not the circumstances through which our boat travels.
- “What if, instead of viewing our relationships as a means of making it through the challenging circumstances of our lives, we saw our circumstances as a means of deepening the relationships in our lives?” I was intrigued by this inverted perspective. “So this would mean our relationships are the end in themselves.” This exchange led to a seismic shift in my perspective and the way I prioritized my life. I could see that I needed to shift my entire life from a performance orientation to a relational orientation. [what remains]

On living in the present:
- The purpose of planning is not to control the future but to live God’s priorities in the present.
- I now believe that the purpose of planning is not to set goals to be crossed off a list at some future date, but to bring focus to the present moment. Life is lived not in reaching the milestones but in crossing the miles. We don’t leave our wedding reception and say, “Whew, I guess I’ve now done the marriage thing.” Rather, the wedding is the beginning of a marriage. We will spend a lifetime living out that commitment.
- To paraphrase Stephen Covey, it’s easier to say no if we have a stronger yes burning inside of us.

On comparison:
- For instance, if we’re wired to run as if we’re in an Olympic trial, we can focus on our PR rather than a WR—our personal record rather than a world record. The shift from winning to excellence, from competing with others to being the best I can be, can be liberating.

On doing DD:
- But I’ve learned that superior long-term results are achieved by going slowly initially to go faster later. I’ve come to call it hypothesis leadership. Before joining the organization, I do my homework to form a point of view about what appear to be the right steps to help the company. I then keep these notes stuffed in my briefcase and spend a lot of time listening to people, asking questions, doing deep dives into the data. I try to listen carefully to test the accuracy of my hypotheses. These initial ideas are inevitably reshaped by the inputs from the team, who almost always know the details of the business much better than I do. I find this immersion to be critical to setting the right course and ensuring alignment and buy-in from the people who will be responsible for executing the plan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bill Pence.
Author 2 books1,039 followers
March 8, 2024
The author of this book has been a successful executive in a number of organizations. These forty short chapters and reflections are designed for those who seek meaning and peace even as they are called to live and work in the harshness of this world. The author tells us that this is a different kind of a book from most others we’ve read—it is intended not so much to be read as to be experienced. The book is an invitation into a conversation with God about things that matter. Each chapter includes stories and insights from the author’s pursuit of meaning in work and in life. Each chapter concludes with helpful reflection questions.
The book is organized into four parts:
PART 1 - Surrendered: Discovering Freedom in Submission to Jesus
PART 2 - Transformed: Learning New Ways of Thinking and Being
PART 3 - Realigned: Bringing Meaning to Our Work
PART 4 - Sent: Fulfilling God's Will in the World
Among the many topics touched on in the book are humility, belief, trust, freedom, joy, fear, pride, contentment, time, relationships, achievement, competitiveness, stewardship, the divine design, reconciliation, shalom, abiding, money, the poor and eternity.
This book can be read as you would a standard book, or you could choose to read one chapter a day and work through the reflection questions. You could also read and discuss the book with others, using the free discussion guide available at the author’s website.
Here are 15 of my favorite quotes from the book:
• God uses our work to do his work in us. And as we are transformed by him, he will transform the world through us.
• As we exchange our own plans for the plans of our Lord, it opens our eyes to see and pursue his call for our lives.
• Surrender is a lifelong process that continues its work until it has worked its way into every moment, every decision, and every action we undertake.
• The most radical way of living is in complete submission to God.
• The many hours we will work in our lifetime make our work one of the best places for the Master Teacher to do his work in us.
• My time is not my time. Like everything else in the universe, our time is under the lordship of Christ.
• The purpose of a to-do list is to prayerfully prepare our priorities so that at the end of a day, a year, or a lifetime, we can affirmatively answer the question Did I spend my time the way God wanted me to spend my time?
• There are no perfect jobs; there is only a perfect God. Our call is to express this perfect God in the work we are called to do, however imperfectly we might do it.
• Our view of life shapes our view of work, and we will never find meaning in our work until we properly understand the source of purpose in our life.
• Our call is to bring all of who we are to every moment of our lives.
• We can bring a life-giving or a life-draining perspective to any job. One inspires us; the other tires us.
• We don’t derive meaning from our work. Rather, we bring meaning to our work.
• Our greatest fulfillment comes from serving others—in all parts of our lives, including our business lives.
• I believe the greatest compliment that can be paid to a teacher is seeing those they teach become better than their teacher.
• God uses our work to do his work in us. And as we are transformed by him, he will transform the world through us.
Profile Image for Panda Incognito.
4,690 reviews95 followers
May 19, 2023
This book features forty reflections on how people can connect their faith and work. Barry L. Rowan shares from his personal journey, explaining how even though he struggled to find purpose and meaning in his business endeavors, after he surrendered himself to God and made God the center of his life, his perspective on his daily work radically changed. Rowan writes from the perspective of a seasoned businessman who has led multiple companies, turned around floundering business, and faced high-profile struggles and failures. Because so much of the book is based in his experience, this will resonate the most with people in business leadership positions, although the general concepts he explores apply more broadly.

Rowan writes about the importance of expressing Christlike character at work, seeing your work through God's eyes, and recognizing ways that your work can be a channel of blessing to the world. He encourages people to think more deeply about what they are doing, even if they feel like they are just putting numbers in spreadsheets, so that they can see the value that they are creating. He also reflects on how important it is for people to find their identity in who God says they are, not in their business successes or failures. This book can be helpful and encouraging for people who often feel like they aren't doing anything important, or who feel like second-class Christians in environments that prize vocational ministry and see other forms of work as lesser.

The Spiritual Art of Business is full of thoughtful reflections on integrating faith and work, and although I found it repetitive at times, someone can read whatever strikes their fancy at a particular moment without missing anything or feeling confused. The short chapters can be read out of order and at any pace, and this book can be a great encouragement to people who struggle to find meaning in their work, don't think that God cares about what they are doing, or just want to further reflect on how work can be a sphere for meaningful spiritual formation.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
49 reviews1 follower
July 10, 2024

Barry Rowan’s “The Spiritual Art of Business” is a profound journey into the intersection of spirituality and leadership, offering readers 40 distinct chapters that are each rich in wisdom and reflection. As someone who found each chapter deeply thought-provoking and deserving of a week of contemplation, I was continually torn between savoring each insight and eagerly moving to the next profound lesson. This book is much like a fine wine—one that tempts you to indulge quickly but truly deserves to be savored slowly to appreciate its full depth.

Rowan’s work is a treasure trove of reflections for leaders who wish to integrate their spiritual lives with their business practices. Each chapter stands alone as a beacon of guidance, offering valuable perspectives that resonate deeply. Despite the desire to devour the book in one go, its true value lies in the deliberate and slow engagement with its content, allowing for the insights to fully permeate one’s thoughts and actions.

Upon completing the book, I realized that the true journey begins now. I plan to revisit each chapter over the next 40 weeks, dedicating a week to reflect and implement the lessons from each section. This deliberate approach promises to deepen my understanding and enhance my application of Rowan’s principles in both personal and professional realms.

I highly recommend “The Spiritual Art of Business” to anyone in a leadership position or those aspiring to lead with integrity and heart. It’s an essential read that encourages a harmonious blend of spirituality and business acumen, fostering a more holistic approach to leadership.
2 reviews1 follower
March 6, 2024
A fresh, transformative approach to Christian business

As a follower of Jesus whose career has been spent with large Fortune 500 corporations, I have always sought wisdom on how my faith influences my work. Most books on Christians and work tend to be very tactical, focusing on the moral aspects of business while sharing some leadership stories or insights. While Rowan has many stories to share, his focus on Christian spirituality and business refreshing and ultimately more impactful. In some ways, it’s as if he brings the best of the Christian spiritual writers like Dallas Willard or Eugene Peterson to our careers and work lives. His goal in writing this book is to transform the heart and from it will flow a life in the world that Christ desires.
Profile Image for Carter Hemphill.
404 reviews6 followers
September 23, 2023
The book contains some good spiritual truths about Christian vocation and discipleship. The chapters are quite short and make the book more of a devotional. The structure of the chapters follow a thematic model introduced in the introduction but is not referred to again until at the conclusion. A clearer roadmap of the themes of each chapter would have helped. The book would also be more useful in a group discussion.
Profile Image for Daniel.
482 reviews
November 6, 2024
It was OK. The rating has nothing to do with the quality of the book, just how much I resonated with it. It's a 40-day devotional on connecting business with faith. It's all fine, all based on Scripture, nothing wrong with it. But it's really business-centric, and that's not where my mind operates. I'm the wrong audience for this book.
134 reviews2 followers
April 22, 2025
This is a business person's devotional. It enlighted me, entertained me, and challenged my thinking.

I took my time going through this devotional as you might expect. I have bought serveral copies and given them to friends. I have not done this very often with any book I've read. I will be writing a blog post of this one day and I've had some very interesting interactions around this book.
Profile Image for Vicky.
92 reviews1 follower
January 27, 2025
This was so moving at times. Barry is deeply thoughtful and writes so well about the meaning we are all seeking - the meaning we only find dedicating all we do to Christ.
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