09/07/2026
Gracious and loving God,
we give you thanks for the gift of work and for all who labor among us.
We pray for those who rise before the sun and those who work through the night; for those who labor with their hands and those who labor with their minds; for teachers and nurses, farmers and caregivers, servers and sanitation workers, tradespeople and office workers, artists and small business owners, parents and grandparents, volunteers and all whose work so often goes unseen.
We give thanks for every person whose labor helps make our communities possible.
Remind us, O God, that every worker bears your image and deserves dignity, respect, safety, and a living wage. May we never measure a person's worth by their job, their income, their education, their immigration status, their race, their gender, their sexual orientation, or any other label we use to divide one another.
Where workers are exploited, give us courage to speak.
Where people are excluded, make room at the table.
Where there is injustice, move us toward justice.
Where there is exhaustion, bring rest.
Where there is unemployment or uncertainty, provide hope and community.
Teach us to see the sacredness in every kind of honest labor and to recognize that none of us lives or thrives alone. May we build communities where everyone has the opportunity to contribute, everyone is valued, and everyone has a place.
And on this Labor Day, remind us that the work of building your beloved community belongs to all of us. May our labor—whether paid or unpaid, visible or unseen—become an expression of your love, justice, and grace.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who welcomed the stranger, lifted up the overlooked, and called us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Amen.