Episode 12: Theology of Work
Our guest today is Dr. Natalie Chan. Natalie has worked in finance for close to 20 years, most of that time with Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong, Europe, and the US. In our conversation with Natalie, she shares how she went from a successful financial career to a nervous breakdown in a hospital bed, and how God met her in that place.
Natalie is currently the director of the Ray Bakke Center for Urban Transformation at Bethel Bible Seminary in Hong Kong. We discuss what theology of work is, how theology can be helpful for people working in high pressure jobs, why she recommends that Christians use the prayer of examen in their work, and ways to discover your calling.
Highlights from the podcast:
Natalie’s story of working in finance and Goldman Sachs as a young ambitious person
How Natalie didn’t integrate faith and work while she worked in finance, because she didn’t think it was possible
How the market crashed in 2008, causing Natalie to have a nervous breakdown and start reflecting on what is it means to have a blessed life
Natalie’s work of teaching faith work integration and training marketplace ministers
How to use the prayer of examen at work to pray continuously
The six aspects that Natalie teaches in her theology of work course
The number 1 issue that people working in Hong Kong wrestle with, and how theology of work helps people to cope with the pressure of performing
