Working prayer

Phil and Tez reflect on working life

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

We both have an interest in music and particularly songs that relate to life. Of course, hymns at church bridge the gap between what we believe and what we get up to during the week, or at least they should.

One day, we hope to get something Phil has written, perhaps even performed by his West Gallery band or his folk band, but here’s something Terry wrote.

It was part of the 12 Song Challenge, where almost 300 songwriters from the UK, the US and other parts of the world get given a challenge each month. There’s more information about what we get up to in this reflection: Resound Worship Songwriting Retreat 25: airborne in praise (30 June 2025), but this came from the October 2026 challenge which was to write a song about faith beyond the church walls. Here are the words and Terry has put it through SUNO for a better production and to spare you his voice. Please write in if you’d like the score.

Working prayer

We work in faith that cannot crash
Though processes may fail.
Strategic plans may burn to ash
Production lines may swallow cash.
We put our faith in nothing rash,
But plans that must prevail.

Fiascos everywhere!
So, Father, hear our prayer.
Restore our work by faith and prayer.

We work in hope of better days
And dream of what’s to come
Despite our weariness, the ways
The gears grind on and smear our gaze.
Let’s turn activity to praise
And sing above the hum.

Our hope’s directed where
The Spirit guides our prayer,
Inspires fresh, renewing prayer.

We work because we love the trade
And love our neighbour, too.
We love producing, getting paid,
The lasting friendships, firmly made
With those who left and those who stayed;
And turn, in thanks, to you.

O Saviour: those we know
Must see your love on show:
Let’s put a greater love on show.

tpy latest 19.i.26

What’s the song all about?

In 2024, we launched a framework in How to merge Kingdom and business: the most excellent way that explored faith, hope and love, on the one hand, as drivers of virtue; and, on the other, process, purpose and people as drivers of business excellence.

Christian faith and business process work very differently but both aim for the same sort of thing: a perfect product. Both are very focused on eliminating faults and failures, although, as we say, they approach the problem in different ways.

Hope and purpose – again in their different ways – are both about aspiration, while love and people put relationships centre field. It’s not difficult to create a chart that looks a bit like this.

The interesting thing is that the blue values have a varied track record. Sometimes process fails and something falls out of the sky, or the business goes broke, or the service seizes up. Most of the time, business does a great job, but not all the time.

Same with people, where some realise their dreams while others have them smashed. And it’s the same with aspirations, where business does not always live up to its promises. We’ve discussed all this in the links below.

The variability of the blue side contrasts markedly with the constancy of the red side – which gives Christians something to say at work. Not just say, but sometimes pray, and sometimes even sing.

Links to more of our reflections on working life

New Year’s Quiz (15 January 2025)

The Virtuous MBA (1 January 2026)

Why vigour and virtue both matter at work (17 April 2025)

Work, rest and play (24 April 2025)

The oppressive workplace: compass glitches (1 May 2025)

The oppressive workplace: sharp elbows ( 8 May 2025)

The oppressive workplace: herd instinct (15 May 2025)

Invisible uniforms: tough stuff we wear to work (22 May 2025)

Invisible uniforms: a theology (29 May 2025)