Labor Day Weekend

Invocation

Our ancestors in faith first created Sabbath, O God, not as a time of worship, but as a time of rest, because you knew that, without rest, there is no worship. They created a time to cease striving; to cease striving to please, striving to get ahead, striving to get more, striving to be secure, striving to win. The first objectors to Sabbath were the taskmasters in Pharaoh's brickyards. Then came the feudal lords, followed by the boss man in the field, the floor manager in the factory, the sales manager, and the CEO.

All of these bosses, and even we, ourselves, have a tendency to measure worth by productivity, and to value math and amassing over community and relationships. We are still desperate for Sabbath, O Lord, because its rhythm is the only thing that keeps us grounded. This day, as we celebrate a long weekend of work-stoppage, may we find ways to regularly rest in you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Gas Works Park, Seattle, WA

Illumination

Candles are a safe, controllable method of being reminded of fire's two essential qualities: heat and light; and with these hi-tech, dripless varieties, it's almost as if they burn but don't burn. We no longer need them for their light, now that we have electricity to incandescence and beyond.

But our hearts are hungry for what's lurking beneath our own shadows; to let you claim and redeem the parts of us that we're afraid to let anyone else see, because those parts don't measure-up to the world's demand for perfection.

In the half-light of our lives, O God, claim us, redeem us, send us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.