What is The Holy Labor?

We haven’t been taught that our lives or work could be holy

Aug 08, 2020

Labor has become a powerful metaphor in my life: what is hard but life-giving.

As a mother I have labored in childbirth, but I have spent many more days filled with the ordinary labors of raising children. As a writer I labor to bring forth words. As a speaker I seek to share them.

And in the decade I devoted to theologies of vocation—and helping churches support the callings of all within their communities—I heard over and over how people devalue their own labors.

I’m just a mom. I’m just a nurse. I’m just an engineer. I’m just a volunteer.

I tried to help people see the value in their work, responsibilities, and relationships—how God was at work in their lives in powerful ways. But I saw how hard it was for them to grasp the goodness of their labors.

We haven’t been taught that our lives or work could be holy.

My mother once told me, when talking about her own motherhood, that she always felt it was worthy work, even when the world dismissed its importance.

I loved that phrase, how it echoed with quiet confidence and steady faith. Her words often rise within me after the end of a long day: serving with love is worthy work, even when others don’t see or agree.

What I want to do with The Holy Labor is encourage you to see the worth of your own work—at home, in your workplace, with your family, in your community. I want to share the holy work of creative people who are seeking to partner with God in bringing forth justice, beauty, and hope.

I want to help each of us name and claim our labor as holy.

In the time it’s taken me to write these words, I’ve been interrupted more times that I could count.

I nursed a fussy baby, soothed the toddler, answered four questions about library books, and promised the middle schooler we’d go to the park later. I also remembered that I forgot to meal plan for dinner and tripped over two brimming laundry baskets in my rush to the fridge to check what we might have.

Then I sat back down, stubbed toe stinging, and laid my head on the desk with the (ironic) frustration of trying to write about the holiness of ordinary labor within chaos.

I know I’m not the only one wrestling with multiple callings, despairing at demands, or wondering what to call good in this pandemic life. But I hold tight to stubborn faith that God is everywhere and always—and this presence challenges us to live as if here and now might be holy, too.

My hope for The Holy Labor is that it will offer hopeful reflections and helpful resources for you.

In each edition I’ll write a short essay, gather my favorite reads for you (new books, intriguing articles, thoughtful prayers, and fresh poetry), and invite you to see your own life and work in holy light.

For now, a few favorites that I’ve been bursting to share with you:

For your family

If you’re exhausted as a parent, here’s a new free resource I created for the Ritual app: a series of Spiritual Practices for Parents. These sessions are available for free when you download the app (for iOs and Android).

The 7 sessions speak to the challenges of parenting during the pandemic, part of a “Spiritual Care Package for Parents.” We’re working on new offerings for parents soon, so stay tuned for more. I’d love to hear your feedback, too.

Bonus? My wise colleague Kathleen Cahalan leads the daily lectio divina on the Ritual app. Such a peaceful way to start your day, centering in Scripture.

For your work

If you’re feeling burnt-out from blurred boundaries, check out my friend Katie Cassady’s new e-book on Sabbath.

Sunday Fun for Faith-Filled Families: Ideas, Prayers and Activities to Celebrate the Lord’s Day is a collection of creative Sabbath practices. But it’s not just a source of inspiration for families: Katie’s ideas are for anyone who needs a breath of fresh air in their Sundays.

Fun fact: Katie is a friend from graduate school and our doula when our oldest child was born. So I can tell you that she embodies the peace and joy she offers in her words.

Grab her book today (a great deal, straight to your email). Stay tuned on Instagram this week where I’ll be giving away a copy!

For your community

If you’re working for justice in big or small ways, check out We Are The Church. Blessed Is She hosted this powerful conversation between 3 Black women talking about their experience of racism in the church. Their stories are honest and hard—and worth sitting with in prayer.

Speaking of prayer, you may have seen a beautiful blessing circulating lately—“May God bless you with discontent…” Turns out this isn’t a Franciscan blessing as often noted, but the work of a Benedictine nun (connected to my beloved Saint John’s). Read the original here.

For your home

If you need renewed inspiration on your walls (I’m staring at you, dining room-turned-schoolroom), these prints from The Modern Saints have been my favorite pandemic purchase. One desperate day I treated myself to the Holy Family and the Madonna—and I don’t know if I’ve ever bought anything that has made me smile more.

What’s lifting up your holy labor these days? Click here to share your ideas.

The Holy Labor