In
my family, we marked the year by counting the 'food holidays' - the first was
Thanksgiving and we trekked through to the final one - #6 - Labor Day!'
Somehow, this little 'family joke' always prompted a conversation about the
'real' reason for the holiday and it reminded us of the reasons we were
gathering to share a meal.
Whatever
you will be doing to celebrate Labor Day this weekend, take some time to value
work - your work, the work of those who make your lives so comfortable, the
work of those who care for people you love, the work of those who bring you beauty,
entertainment and joy..... AND, remember the workers - those who work long,
hard hours for little money, those who work with their imaginations and ideas,
those who work several jobs, those who long for jobs.
Loving, Working God,
On this Labor Day weekend we ask your special blessing on all people
who labor, either for pay or as volunteers, in jobs or at school, in
the workplace or at home, in the U.S. and around the world.
We especially pray for your blessings on workers who do not have
jobs and for those whose inadequate pay does not allow them to
live the full life you intend for each of us.
On this Labor Day weekend we ask your special blessing on all people
who labor, either for pay or as volunteers, in jobs or at school, in
the workplace or at home, in the U.S. and around the world.
We especially pray for your blessings on workers who do not have
jobs and for those whose inadequate pay does not allow them to
live the full life you intend for each of us.
Creator God, help us to build a new world in the midst of the old.
A world where all workers are valued.
A world where those who clean houses are also able to buy
houses to live in.
A world where those who grow food can also afford to eat
their fill.
We pray for the coming of a world where all workers everywhere
share in the abundance that you have given us.
We ask these things knowing that you give us the courage and
strength to live out our faith in the workplace and the marketplace,
as well as in the sanctuary.
Amen.
A world where all workers are valued.
A world where those who clean houses are also able to buy
houses to live in.
A world where those who grow food can also afford to eat
their fill.
We pray for the coming of a world where all workers everywhere
share in the abundance that you have given us.
We ask these things knowing that you give us the courage and
strength to live out our faith in the workplace and the marketplace,
as well as in the sanctuary.
Amen.
Written by Edie Rasell, Minister for Economic Justice of the United Church
of Christ. She is also Vice-President of Interfaith Worker Justice.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Share your thoughts on this post in a spirit of love for God, yourself, and each other. All comments are checked before posting. While you may post anonymously, we encourage you to leave your name!