Woohoo, we are 24 hours away from Labor Day Weekend, the last gasp of summer where some of us might be making our last visit to the lake, beach, or mountains before the grind of fall hits us.  In that spirit, this Sunday in worship for those of us "left behind," we will consider the work that God has given us and reflect on its meaning.  I suppose I feel a little like the Grinch who stole Christmas preaching about work on a weekend normally set aside for play. 

As I look at my own life, both the present and past, I am truly grateful that I have fulltime work, and I love what I do both as a minister and as an entertainment booking agent.  In the past over the years, I have mowed lawns, babysat, done construction, worked for a local news station, sold t-shirts on a rock n' roll tour, and DJed all sorts of parties.  Even though for the most part I have loved it all, there have been days frankly when I wished I could simply have hit the permanent snooze button and lived a life of leisure.  Why is there so often such a love/hate relationship with our work?  Is the work we do just a job, or could it be a calling, or are ministers the only ones who receive "calls"?  How are we to do our work?
 
Come to worship this Sunday to explore these questions and more.  And bring a friend with you.  And then you can make a mad dash for the lake on Monday!  And if by chance you are gone for the entire weekend, make sure you come back with a church bulletin signed by the pastor of the church you are visiting!
 
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him. -Colossians 3:17

Prayer for Today

O God, thank you for the work you give us, be it fulltime or part-time, be it blue collar or white collar, be it at home or in the office.  If we presently don't have work, help us find the right job that brings meaning and provision.  Help us to find joy in what we do, that it might be more than a "job," but rather a calling.  Amen.