A Still-Working God

Talitha Arnold

The Lord watches over the strangers; God upholds the orphan and the widow. - Psalm 146:9 (NRSV)

What a great scripture text for today! On this Sunday before Labor Day, Psalm 146 reminds us that God’s work didn’t end after the sixth day of creation. Even after God “made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them,” God kept working.

Consider all the action verbs the ancient psalmist uses to describe God’s continuing engagement with the world:

God keeps faith. Executes justice. Gives food. Sets free. Opens eyes. Lifts up. Loves. Watches over. Upholds.

In the words of a Pentecost prayer from the United Church of Christ Book of Worship, the One in whom we have our trust is “no statue made of silver or gold, but a living reality on the face of the earth (p. 504).

God is not only “still speaking,” but still working, too. Working for justice, working to feed the hungry, working to uphold the most vulnerable, working to open eyes and hearts. As people of faith, that’s our work as well.

Blessings for this Labor Day Sunday!

Prayer:

We thank you, God, for all you have done and continue to do in this world. We thank you for all who seek to honor you in their daily living and daily work. We thank you for all upon whose work our lives depend, and we pray for the courage and commitment to join in your life-giving work for all people and all creation.