Emerging Scholars Network

Working for Better by Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels

"Finding the Intrinsic Value in Work: One of the ways we can engage God's purposes in our work is to recognize the ways that the work we do is meaningful. We have three suggestions: (1) recognize how our work furthers the work of creation, (2) identify ways our work mitigates the effects of the fall, and (3) reframe toilsome aspects of work."

What does your soil look like today?

Mark 4:14-20 (The Message)

“The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.

“And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

“The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.

“But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.”

How does your faith connect with your work?

Faith and Work Accelerator 2026
Saturday, September 26, 1pm

Join in this online conversation that will guide you in integrating your faith and work.

Elaine Howard Ecklund, one of the world's leading experts on the sociology of faith and work, will share insights from her two most recent books. You'll also hear from a panel of Christian scholars and professionals, followed by field-specific small group discussions where you can explore your own questions and experiences.

This interactive event includes Q&A, meaningful discussion, and opportunities to connect with others seeking to integrate faith and work in their daily lives.

Learn more & Register (Link: https://network.asa3.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=2082216&group=)

Hosted by InterVarsity's Emerging Scholars Network (ESN) and
the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA).

Interested in a formation group for early career faculty and postdocs?

At their monthly gatherings, this group spends time imagining how to cultivate a rich interior life in a nuanced career stage, exploring vocational and personal discernment, and interceding for our academic contexts.

They meet every third Thursday from 9-10am CT over Zoom. Reach out to Ben (ben.wormleighton@intervarsity,org) for more info.

Check out and comment on the latest Science Corner post from Andy Walsh: All Papers Great and Small.

Science Corner: All Papers Great and Small - Emerging Scholars Blog Sure, the Nobel Prizes have glitz and glamour and bring scientific immortality. But do they have smooching monkeys?

Join InterVarsity's Graduate Healthcare Ministries for an online discussion: Discernment and Specialty Selection for Healthcare Students.

Register here:

Discernment for healthcare students and faculty ​How can we help students grow in discernment, especially with important decisions like specialty selection? What can discernment look like for followers of Jesus? ​ Date: October 6, 2026 Time:...

I will not let you go, O Lord, until you bless me;
so bless me this day, this hour, this moment:
Bless my mind to discern the one thing that this day requires;
Bless my heart to remain at peace in the face of fear;
Bless my will to resist all needless distractions;
Bless my hands to do the work that you have entrusted to me;
Bless my ears to be attuned to your voice;
Bless my eyes to see the signs of your presence;
Bless my feet to go wherever you would lead me.
I pray this so that I might be
like the birds of the air
and the lilies of the filed,
free of worry and secure
in the enfolding care
of my Fathe in heaven.
I pray this in your name.
Amen.

Prayers for the Pilgrimage. W. David O. Taylor

Psalm 46 (The Message)

God is a safe place to hide,
ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
the tremors that shift mountains.
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city,
this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
but Earth does anything he says.
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
Bans war from pole to pole,
breaks all the weapons across his knee.
“Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
loving look at me, your High God,
above politics, above everything.”
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

The Bio-Information Steward: AI as the Operating System of Life.

To receive the Zoom link for this free event by email, please pre-register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_T27A-RkOTBaMtPS0YuL7Ew #/registration

O Lord, you who guide me in the way everlasting, grant me the ability to hear your voice, I pray, the wisdom to know the way forward, the courage to choose it, and the humilty to accept it as your good, pleasing, and perfect will for me. I pray this in the name of the One who establishes my steps in love and sets me within the company of the wise. Amen.

Prayers for the Pilgrimage, W. David O. Taylor