Now comes the annual legal holiday that is always celebrated on the first Monday in September, and therefore, as a result, on a three-day weekend. Who is there that doesn’t love that extra vacation day? But also, is there anyone who isn’t mourning the end of summer?
At the same time, I’m sure I’m not the only pastor who has puzzled about hymn selections, preaching themes and worship hymns for this non-religious three-day holiday with a Sunday in the center of it.
The hymn choices are numerous for Mother’s Day, Easter, or Pentecost Sunday, but on Labor Day Sunday …? Labor Day is unique because the church didn’t establish it.
Americans first celebrated Labor Day in 1882, and it became a federal holiday in 1894 – nearly 20 years before the creation of the Labor Department. President William Howard Taft signed the act creating the U.S. Department of Labor in his final hours as president on March 4, 1913. In the decades following, the department has supported the interests of workers, jobseekers and retirees across the country.
So, over my 50 years as an ordained minister, I’ve found only one verse in one hymn that speaks of our “labors” and connects them to Jesus’ labors in the carpenter’s shop of His earthly father, Joseph.
Here’s the verse …
“Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe:
Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.”
When the title and all the verses of this hymn are taken into consideration, all our labors – from the break of day to the end of the day – are inspired, initiated and accomplished because “hope” compels us!
One more reinforcement of faith and hope that emanates from that carpenter shop where Jesus labored in His youth and young adult life: for individuals with strong religious beliefs, burying a St. Joseph statue in the front yard of their dwelling place can be a powerful affirmation of their faith and hope. It provides a sense of comfort and reassurance during the uncertain and sometimes stressful process of selling a house.
While the true reasons behind the effectiveness of burying a St. Joseph statue to sell a house remain subjective and open for interpretation, many sellers find solace and success in this tradition.
This Labor Day, I pray our labors add strength to our hearts and peace in our homes!
Editor’s note: Eden Prairie Local News (EPLN) contributor Pastor Rod Anderson also serves on the EPLN Board of Directors. He was the senior pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie.
Interested in contributing a faith-based column to EPLN? Email editor@eplocalnews.org.
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