Prayers for Labor Day

We are workers, God, just like you. But we confess that our work is not always done in a manner that affirms and honors each other. Our work is not always done in a spirit that is pleasing to you. We confess that, on some occasions, we have blindly bought goods made by people who are paid too little or work in unsafe conditions. We admit that we have failed to end an unjust system in which some workers have jobs that provide good wages, health insurance, sick leave, a pension, paid vacations, and other benefits, while others have jobs that do not.

Creator God, help us to build a new world out of the ashes of the old, a world where all workers are valued. One 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. And one where those who serve us in stores, schools, nursing homes, and many other places are also served by us. It will be a world where all workers everywhere share in the abundance that you have given us.
Words of Assurance:

Our God is a God of grace and transformation. When we ask, God will give us the courage and strength to live out our faith in the workplace and the marketplace, as well as in the sanctuary.

UFW Prayer

Show me the suffering of the most miserable, so I may know my people’s plight.  Free me to pray for others, for you are present in every person.  Help me to take responsibility for my own life, so that I can be free at last.  Grant me courage to serve others, for in service there is true life.  Give me honesty and patience, so that I can work with other workers.  Bring forth song and celebration, so that the Spirit will be alive among us.
Let the Spirit flourish and grow, so that we will never tire of the struggle.  Let us remember those who have died for justice, for they have given us life.  Help us love even those who hate us, so we can change the world.

Amen.