[Written in connection with Labor Weekend, 2010]

“This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.  When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens --- and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground --- the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being…..The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”     ---- Genesis 4:4-7, 15
 
 
"It is the business of the Church to recognize that the secular vocation, as such, is sacred.  Christian people, and particularly perhaps the Christian clergy, must get it firmly into their heads that when a man or woman is called to a particular job of secular work, that is as true a vocation as though he or she were called to specifically religious work."
----Dorothy Sayers, Creed or Chaos?
 
 
In the calendar of national holidays, we’ve worked our way to Labor Day, perhaps one of the most misunderstood celebrations in our country.  As the national economy shifts one way then another in industrial forms of output, our American workers and educational systems struggle to keep up with the trends.  Honestly, many of our leaders in business and schools seem more to be “polishing the brass on the Titanic” than anything else!
 
Many business, government, and labor leaders genuinely are trying to help our society cope with the vast changes that have occurred and even greater changes that are to come.  Giant shifts in the ways we prepare for and enter the work force are on the horizon.  The working world of our children and grandchildren will be significantly different than our own!
 
BUT --- one thing that will not change in the future is that the foundational dignity for our common human life is found in work.  The necessity of work was built into the covenant of creation by Almighty God, and it is an essential part of daily life.  From Adam to the present, it is through the context of daily life and work that we bring glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31).  As the rest of American society celebrates in one way or another Labor Day and all those who work, it is especially true that people of faith clearly understand the absolute necessity of work in their lives!
 
Now, some people quickly interject that there are people who will not work.  That’s true, of course, and we have the clear injunction of the Apostle Paul that people are to earn the bread they eat, and if they will not do so, others are not to feed them or assist them (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12)!  Hunger is a powerful motivator to work!
 
But, what about the people who cannot work?  There are exceptions to the rule of work for such as these.  A few of these are:  canceling the debts for the poor every 7 years (Deuteronomy 15:1-11); consolidating 3 years’ tithes to feed the Levites, aliens, widows, and orphans; and making provisions for the hungry (Deuteronomy 24:19-22 – note, even here the hungry must work by gathering the food for themselves).
 
As people of faith, we must not forget that the work-a-day world is the real arena of life!  Our worship on the Lord’s Day and all the other auxiliary activities of our faith bring due honor and glory to God and prepare us for the rest of life.  God is the Lord of all constituent elements of life, and our work should be done “as unto the Lord!”
 
The early Christians were drawn from a wide variety of vocations and jobs.  Just a cursory listing of these would include carpenters (Jesus), fishermen (Peter, Andrew, James, John), tax collectors (Matthew, Zaccheaus), tent makers (Paul, Aquila, Priscilla), a merchant of purple (Lydia), soldiers (Cornelius, the Centurion, and others), and many slaves (Onesimus, etc).  Included in the Church were beggars and the afflicted, as well as widows and orphans.
 
So, this week rather than complain that we have to work, give thanks to God that we can work!  Remember --- the greatest spiritual impact on the world each day is made by people who work for a living and “practice what they preach” in front of others!  How can we serve God while pursuing a “secular” vocation?
 
·  By living our faith “in the world” – John 17:13-21
 
·  By being “light” to our friends and coworkers – Matthew 5:13-16, Acts 13:46-48
 
·  By using “secular” relationships to introduce Jesus – Luke 5:29
 
·  By “living the Gospel” in front of others – Philippians 1:27
 
May God give you his presence and strength as you work – for a living and for Him!

“You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”    ---Matthew 5:14-16 


In a recent edition of Reader’s Digest magazine, a section called “A Very Hard Sell” highlighted the difficulties businesses have advertising their products across cultural and language barriers.  Often, their honest, energetic efforts fall short of their goals.  The results can turn off potential customers --- and give us a tragic chuckle in the bargain!

--- When KFC began to market its famous chicken in China, it predictably tried to translate its “finger lickin’ good” motto into Chinese.  The result?  “Eat your fingers off!”

--- In 1987, one enterprising man in Miami tried to profit from the visit by Pope John Paul II to the area.  He hawked T-shirts that said “I saw the Pope” in Spanish.  However, his energy exceeded his Spanish skills, so instead of el Papa (“the Pope”) he used la Papa (“the potato”).

The American business community isn’t the only group that has problems with communicating across hurdles.  The religious community in general, and Christian churches in particular, find it increasingly difficult to get their message out accurately and clearly to the world at large.  As American society grows, its religious pluralism and multiculturalism, along with a burgeoning anti-religious bias, complicate exponentially the task of “letting our light shine.”

Many churches attempt to overcome these hurdles with short, pithy slogans and witticisms.  You see them all the time on the changeable sign boards in front of church buildings on major streets in most American communities.  This has even spawned a growing cottage industry producing little books of these slogans.  Haven’t we all seen signs like, “Seven days without church makes one weak” and “Ch- -rch --- what’s missing?  U are!”?!  How effective are these church signs?  If the recent announcement that the proportion of Americans who self-consciously list themselves as “Protestant” is any clue, declining numbers of Protestant Christians must, I think, mean that they are not really very effective!  Sadly, the pulpits of many modern-day Evangelical churches have followed this trend, and the preaching amounts to little more than moralistic sloganeering and cheap alliteration.

So, if the church signs are not very effective and the preaching of so many ministers leaves the public absolutely cold, how ARE we to get out the message of our churches and the Gospel?  Is there a truly Biblical public relations program?  Yes, there is!  The most effective church signs and public banners are YOU and ME!  That right, WE are the signs that our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and fellow students voraciously read every day!  AND --- these “signs” are always effective.  People see us --- they observe our lives --- they speak with us --- and they have indelible impressions about us and the qualities we embody.  We simply CANNOT live life without affecting at least SOME people around us!

Now, we must remember that while we DO affect people, all the effects may not be positive.  Just as so many church signs habitually reflect the trite and trivial and some turn off scores of people, so our lives may at least partially be a witness of what’s NOT really important. 

This week’s passage tells us that “we’re lights.”  ALL of us are “lights!”  How will we “shine” this week?  How will our actions and words reflect what is eternally important and what reflects our Heavenly Father?  Remember --- people are “reading” us every day.  Many of those will never tell us they are doing so, but they ARE!  They’re making up their minds about our faith and our churches from those who espouse a commitment to Christ and His Church.  This week be a “sign” that points to  Christ!
May God grant that “all your bulbs burn brightly and your message is broadcast without interruption!”

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2004

“If you love me, keep my commandments.”   ---  John 14:15
 
 
"We also are under the necessity of vindicating our liberty if it be endangered in weak consciences by the iniquitous requisitions of false prophets.  We must at all times study charity, and keep in view the edification of our neighbor.  'All things (says Paul) are lawful for me, but all things edify not.  Let no man seek his own, but every man another's.'  Nothing can be plainer than this rule that our liberty should be used if it conduces to our neighbor's edification; but that if it be not beneficial to our neighbor, it should be abridged.  But a pious man considers this liberty in external things as granted him in order that he may be the better prepared for all the duties of charity."    ----John Calvin
 
 
According to pollster, George Barna, about 85% of all Americans say they believe in God and are Christians.  That's an extraordinary figure, considering our crime statistics and the way we treat each other in our communities!
 
Of course, Jesus knew the human heart as no other has known it, and he knew that many people would express their faith in words alone.  The world is filled with "sunshine patriots" who believe in a cause and even act on it --- when it is convenient, the conditions are right, and the weather permits.  AND the number grows when the cause is popular and the work is relatively easy!
 
But God is looking for a different kind of loyalty and commitment.  He is looking for people who will obey!  We learned long ago in the Army that being a soldier is more than marching in parades, dressing up in attractive dress uniforms, and playing the part.  Being a genuine soldier involves sacrifice, hard work, and obedience to leaders.  Being a person of faith is the same!
 
This week we'll all have the opportunity to show what kind of faith we have.  Make sure your faith is the "obedience kind" that performs under all conditions.  God is willing to give us the strength to live for him.  He's just looking for people who will obey.  As a popular phrase puts it, "Just do it!"  God bless you as you do!
 
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2010