Responsive Reading

Let us recognize the many people whose work is a blessing, and call those who are in leadership positions to act with justice.

God of Compassion, hear our prayer.

We pray for construction workers who build our homes and places of work and worship.

God of Compassion, hear our prayer.

We pray for injured workers who are too often neglected.

God of Compassion, hear our prayer.

We pray for farm workers and poultry workers who help provide us with our food but who often work in dangerous conditions and struggle to provide food for their own families.

God of Compassion, hear our prayer.

We pray that our legislators and elected officials act on the cries for justice in our community.

God of Compassion, hear our prayer.

We pray that all owners and managers recognize the dignity of workers and uphold the standards of our faith traditions by providing living wages, affordable benefits and the freedom of association.

God of Compassion, hear our prayer.

God of Exodus, you went to your people in Egypt, saw their pain and set them free—free from the bondage of their oppressor. You walked with them to freedom. Walk with all of us who struggle for dignity in the workplace, for a living wage and for fair benefits. Bless all of us as we continue working to bring forth your vision—a vision of justice and peace, kindness and compassion, grace and mercy.

Amen.

(from Interfaith Worker Justice, “Workers Memorial Day,” www.nicwj.org/materials/materials.WMD.html)

Prayer of Confession

Loving God, you bless us with abundance and prosperity for which we are truly grateful. With humility and respect, we acknowledge the people who work night and day so that we will have food on our tables, clothes on our bodies, care when we are sick, and many other services we may not even be aware of that make our lives better, easier and more comfortable.

God of Justice, we pray for the workers in the fields, in the factories, in the hospitals, hotels and office buildings. May their work be safe from danger and fear. May their labors sustain them and their families with equity and dignity.

God of forgiveness, we repent for our ignorance, our apathy and our greed that makes us blind to the plight of so many of our brothers and sisters. Make us aware of the struggles of workers who labor in unsafe conditions, for too little money, for too many hours.

Eternal God, give us the strength and passion to create a world in which there is no exploitation. Instill in us a burning, righteous indignation at the unjust treatment and suffering of working people. Free us so that we might dedicate our hearts and lives to a vision of life with security, dignity and sustainability for all people.             

Amen.

(from Interfaith Worker Justice, “Labor in the Pulpits 2000,” www.nicwj.org/pages/materials.LIP2000txt.html)

Labor Day Prayer

We gather this Labor Day weekend to celebrate the work that people do and the gift of work that God has given us.

We give thanks for our jobs and the opportunity to work.

We know that to work can be an opportunity to do God’s will.

We pray that those of us with jobs will discern God’s will in our workplaces.

We pray for those without jobs. This Labor Day weekend there are over...

Eight million Americans who are officially unemployed.

And we know that millions more are not included in the official rolls of the unemployed, because they have become discouraged and stopped looking for work, or they accepted part-time work instead of desired full-time work.

Creator God, give special encouragement and blessings to those looking for work.

We lift up all employers...

That they may be just and fair with all their employees.

We know that God’s word is clear on treatment of workers.

Deuteronomy 24:9 says, “Never take advantage of poor laborers, whether fellow Israelites or foreigners living in your towns. Pay them their wages each day before sunset because they are poor and are counting on it.

Otherwise they might cry out to the Lord against you, and it would be counted against you as sin.”

We ask God’s special protection on those who toil in sweatshops.

We know that God hears the cries of the poor.

Touch the hearts of those who...

“Trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed” (Amos 2:7).

We know that God has concern for the poor in society. Proverbs says that if a leader “judges the poor with fairness,” the leader’s position will be secure (29:14).  But the leader who “oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops” (28:3).

Help our leaders judge and treat the poor with fairness.

Help us become a society that cares for the poor, a society that cares for sweatshop workers, a society that cares for immigrants. We serve a God who is “mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.” Our God “defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:17-19).

We pledge to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8-9).

Amen.

(from the Interfaith Worker Justice, “Labor in the Pulpits 2004,” www.nicwj.org/materials/LIP2004.html)