A Word From Father Mark Come, Labor on! The doors of Trinity Church, Moundsville, West Virginia (where I served from 1987-1990) were aligned to open out towards the Fostoria Crystal factory. When worship was ended, the people filed out to face the place which was a source of income and identity for the whole region. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived in Moundsville, an international corporation had purchased the plant and shut it down. They bought the Fostoria brand so they could sell their glassware using the 100 year old name and reputation of the company. Crystal etchers, some second and third generation workers who immigrated to this country to practice their art, were told to take their tools home. When the furnaces were extinguished, the remaining glass cooled on the walls and rendered the whole plant useless. This story is not unique to West Virginia; crafts and industries close at an astonishing rate. Some of this is caused by innovation. We no longer need glass insulators to protect the wires on telephone poles. One day, we may not even need telephone poles or wire. Labor on the Eastern Shore has changed in innumerable ways in the past century, as well. We must always be thinking about the next direction and those who will build the path there. This weekend offers us a day to consider those who labor on our behalf and the value of the labor we offer each other. St. Paul reminds us that, as Christians, all our work (sacred or secular) is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Labor Day honors the efforts of those who make, and teach, and serve, and protect, and repair. The Collect for Labor Day was composed for the 1979 Book of Common Prayer by the Reverend Canon Charles Mortimer Guilbert, long-time Custodian of the Book of Common Prayer (and in this way, a life-long laborer for the church). This weekend, perhaps you and your household can take a moment to recall all who labor on our behalf in this nation and in the world. Father Mark Delcuze Almighty God, who hast so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 13:15:00 +0000
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