by Pam Tinsley

Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Prayer for Labor Day, BCP, p. 261).

Do you think of the work you do or your job as holy? Maybe if you work in a church or serve in church ministry, you might consider that part of your life as holy work. But, I mean all of your work: your job; your household chores; raising your children or grandchildren; or serving your community. Do you think of that as holy?

Well, God does! Whatever work you do is holy because it is an integral part of you. And God loves you. All of you.

Too often, we consider only church-related activities – be they serving at worship, serving on church committees or vestries, participating in Christian formation – to be holy because we refer to it as ministry. We tend to segregate our secular lives from our spiritual lives without considering two important  factors:

• God sees and loves our wholeness, and
• our daily work matters to God.

Throughout Scripture we read about the dignity of work, beginning in Genesis with God’s own work of creation. After all, Jesus was a carpenter, and we know that his disciples’ occupations were important to them – fishermen and even businessmen. Luke the Evangelist was a physician. And in addition to the Apostle Paul’s ceaseless evangelism throughout the Mediterranean, he continued his work as a tent maker (Acts 18:3). Lydia, who became a convert after listening to Paul, was a seller of purple cloth. In his letters, Paul doesn’t call disciples to abandon their – and our – daily work. Instead, he encourages us to center our lives on Christ as we go about our labors.

And even today, our labors are woven into our worship at the Eucharist when we present the fruits of our lives and labors to God at the offertory. Then the gifts that God’s earth has formed, and human hands have made[1]– bread and wine – become the very gifts of God for the people of God.

So, during this Labor Day week – and, God willing, throughout the year – may we all be reminded of the holiness of the work that each one of us is called to, and may we honor God by offering it to God.

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[1] Enriching our Worship, Eucharistic Prayer 3