LABOUR DAY

I don’t know how much it is the situation around the world, but here in Canada, we are experiencing a number of crises because of a shortage of workers. 

We celebrate and pray for workers on this Labour Day. We want to honour and give thanks for the collective labour force of people within our families, our communities, and our nations. 

The gift of work is seen first with God.  God created the earth and its inhabitants in six days and then rested on the seventh day.  What beauty there is to admire and enjoy because of God’s creative nature in our environment, in the night sky, in animal life, and in one another.

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. 

Genesis 1:31, 2:2

Thank you God for the gift of work and the pattern for work and rest that You’ve made for us to flourish under.  We pray to be creative and to use the gifts You’ve given us to their fullest. 

We pray also to rest from our labours, in order to enjoy You and enjoy Your creation.  Give us grace to be aware of the rich gifts we have, God, because You worked and then invited us to work in the amazing world You created.

We do want to work hard, to give our work the best effort we can, so You can make us prosper.  We don’t want to live between the extremes of either working too much or working too little.  We want to get the balance right and trust You for the rest.

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you.” 

Hebrews 13:5

We also recognize God that life is more than work and money and we pray to be satisfied with what we have.  You don’t  want us to run after money as the ultimate source of our security. You are with us.  You are our provider.

As we celebrate Labour Day, we offer our work – studies, paid employment, volunteer work, recovery work etc. – to You, Lord and ask Your blessings on all that we do, so that our labour may contribute to honouring You and building up our community.

As we’ve prayed together a number of times before we pray again today:   May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us — yes, establish the work of our hands.  Psalm 90:17