God of the working world:
thank you for meaningful work that fills us with satisfaction,
the way challenges can spur us on to greater efforts
that pay off with a job well done.
But that’s not always the case.
Sometimes the work we do isn’t productive, or it isn’t recognized.
We spend the whole day working and nothing gets done,
the machine breaks down just after we fixed it,
the house gets messy just when it was clean,
more tasks are assigned to us when we are already overwhelmed.
Some of us hate our work.
It’s too hard for us, our bodies can’t take it.
The working environment is depressing,
or the people we work with drag us down.
Sometimes we aren’t making enough money to make ends meet.
And some of us can’t find work.
We sit at home, longing to be productive, but there are no jobs.
In a world that values financial success,
and in a world where bills pile up,
not bringing home a paycheque can make us feel like outcasts.
You are the great Employer.
There are jobs in your kingdom for each one;
challenging, meaningful, significant.
You provide us with the tools for the job;
strength, courage, determination and insight.
Open our eyes to your great work, and our place within it.
We are your work, the work of your hands,
we do the work of your hands.
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.