Labor Sunday Reflections

Below are reflections from prior years. Explore other worship and liturgical resources to accompany these texts.

Lectionary based reflections and sermon seeds

Searching our Hearts and our Cultural Values (2016 reflection) Year C, Proper 18: Philemon 1:1-22

Workers: Made in the Image of God  Year C, Proper 18: Jeremiah 18:1-11

Seeing Clearly  Year B, Proper 18: Isaiah 35:4-7a; James 2:1-10,14-17 and Mark 7:24-37

God’s Call to End Oppression   Year A, Proper 17: Exodus 3:1-15 and Romans 12:9-21 

Interrupted by God   Year A, Proper 17: Exodus 3:1-15 and Romans 12:9-21

“Let Us Be Doers, Not Merely Hearers” of Jesus’ Word  Year B, Proper 17: James 1:17-27

Seeing Truly   Year B, Proper 18: James 2:1-10, 14-17; and Mark 7:24-37

Hosting the Poor and Marginalized  Year C, Proper 17: Luke 14:1, 7-14

Non-lectionary based reflections and sermon seeds

A Fair Balance, based on 2 Corinthians 8:1-4, 13-15, descibes Paul’s collection for the poor in Jerusalem as a window into discussing inequality today.

The Landowner and His Workers is based on Matthew 20: 1-16, the vineyard owner and his laborers

Jesus Was a Low-Wage Worker takes Luke 6:20 as its text: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”

Acts of Kindness and Working for Justice is based on Micah 6:8: “God has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

That They All May Be One – Solidarity Forever draws on Isaiah’s vision of a new heaven and new earth (65:17-23) and John 17:21: “that they may all be one.”