The Sacred Dimension in Work and Volunteerism

The Sacred Dimension of Work and Volunteerism

A sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. Randy K. Hammer – September 1, 2019

Deuteronomy 16:13-15; Romans 12:3-8 GNT

Be joyful, because the Lord has blessed your harvest and your work. Deuteronomy 16:15

Whoever has authority should work hard. Romans 12:8

“Be joyful, because the Lord has blessed your harvest and your work,” we have read from the book of Deuteronomy (16:15).  These words are said to have come from God and meditated through Moses to the Israelites as they prepared to settle in the Promised Land.  So from the earliest time of recorded Hebrew history, God’s blessing has been connected with humankind’s relation to the land and the harvests, as well as to the purview of work.  We might go so far as to say that from the beginning of Jewish religious thought, there has been a sacred connection or divine element to all worthy work.

Some of the Protestant reformers contended that all forms of worthy work constitute a calling, or sacred vocation.  In other words, contrary to the view that only select persons – that is, priests, pastors, or other clergy-related professions – constitute a divine calling, some reformers contended that all worthy professions are divine vocations.  As the Apostle Paul points out, all of us have different gifts – speaking, serving, teaching, encouraging, sharing, administrating, and so on – to be used for the common good (Romans 12:6).

And so, in his book, Care of the Soul, Thomas Moore can write, “We could say, then, that all work is sacred, whether you are building a road, cutting a person’s hair, or taking out the garbage.”¹  Hence, today’s sermon title, “The Sacred Dimension of Work and Volunteerism.”

Since it is Labor Day weekend, a sermon that in some way deals with our work or labor is in order.  But I also realize that a good many of our members are retired and no longer in the active workforce.  However, several of our members give a number of hours each month to volunteerism in the church and/or community in one form or another.  And what is volunteerism if not work minus the pay and benefits?

So here is the pertinent question of the day: What makes for a sacred dimension in our work and volunteerism, or even our daily activities around the house?  If all worthy work or volunteering can constitute a sacred calling or divine vocation, what makes it so?

In Care of the Soul, Moore poses some questions for consideration that might help us determine if our work, community volunteerism, or other daily activities have a sacred dimension to them:

1.      We do well to consider what Moore calls the “soul values” of our work or activity.  “What is the spirit of this workplace?”²  Moore asks.  Does the place where I work or volunteer or go about my daily activities at home contribute to the health and well being of souls – mine as well as all other souls who work or volunteer there, or who are affected by the work or activity that is carried on there?  Is my work or volunteerism respectful of all people, contributing to the growth and well being of all, and does not contribute in any way to the detriment of others?

2.      Is there a feeling of community where I work or volunteer?  Am I part of a community or network that contributes in a positive way to all who work or volunteer there, as well as all who are served by what we do?

3.      Does my work, volunteerism or other daily activity produce some worthy, human-enhancing product or provide some worthy service that betters the lives of others?

4.      Does my work or volunteer activity contribute to the greater good of others and the community or world at large?  In other words, does my work or volunteerism or daily activities meet a human need, alleviate suffering, contribute to better living conditions, or increase well-being, happiness, and joy?

If we can answer “Yes” to such questions, then we can pretty well rest assured that there is a sacred dimension to our work, volunteerism, or other activities.

And so, with these considerations in mind, we could easily name a hundred or so forms of work or volunteerism right off the bat that have a sacred dimension to them:

In the medical or mental health profession?  Such contributes to healthier lives and alleviation of pain and suffering.

A farmer?  Provides food and helps alleviate hunger.

A beautician or barber?  Serves a human need.

A hospital volunteer?  Enhances human well being and healing.

Serve on the board of ADFAC, TORCH, Ecumenical Storehouse, or other local non-profit?  Provides a worthy service in helping people in need.

A teacher?  Contributing to literacy and growth of the human spirit and more enlightened understanding of how to achieve a better world.

Employed at one of the Oak Ridge labs?  Contributing to research and discovery and a better world.

In the arts?  Contributing to happiness and joy and feeding the souls of others.

In accounting or administration for a company that provides a worthy service or produces a needed product?  Contributing to a better community and world.

Teach aerobics?  Contributing to better physical and mental health.

In the field of veterinary medicine?  Helping alleviate the suffering of God’s creatures.

It is not possible to list every job, profession or volunteer position, but you get

 the point: the work and activities that have the potential of addressing need, enhancing well being, contributing to community progress, or helping make for a better world are many and varied.  And any worthy activity that meets such criteria might rightly be seen as a sacred vocation or calling.

There is an old wisdom story that paints a wonderful mental picture of the truth at hand.  During the Middle Ages, a traveler came upon a place in France where a great deal of construction was going on.  He stopped to talk with the stone cutters about the work they were doing.

The traveler approached the first stone cutter and asked, “What are you doing?”  The man, very disgruntled, and obviously unhappy in his hard toil, replied, “I’m cutting these huge boulders with the simplest of tools and putting them together in the way I’ve been told to do.  I’m sweating in this heat, and my back is killing me.  I’m bored and wish I didn’t have to do this hard and meaningless job!”

The traveler moved on to a second worker.  He asked the same question: “What are you doing?”  This worker replied, “Well, I have a wife and children at home, so I come here every morning and I work these boulders into shapes as I’m told to do.  The work is hard and repetitive, but it helps feed my family, and that’s all that matters.”

The traveler moved on to a third worker and asked him the same question: “And what are you doing?”  The third worker, with shining eyes pointed up toward heaven and responded, “Why, I’m building a cathedral for God!”  Sometimes it is all a matter of perspective.

And so, when we can examine our work, volunteer activities or daily routine and find that they pass the tests of creating something that honors God and the Good, having “soul values,” contribute to better health and well being of others, make a positive difference in the community and world, and so on, then we can feel good about what we do.  And when we see what we do in such a light, as an activity blessed by God, it may make a difference in the way we approach our work or volunteer activity day in and day out. 

Maybe we can go to work or to our volunteer station or to our daily activities at home, such as standing at the kitchen sink and washing dishes, by saying to ourselves, “By what I do today, I am making a positive difference in the lives of many people.  I am making a positive contribution to my community.  I am helping make the world a better place.”  Such is the lens that enables us to see the sacred dimension in our work and volunteer activities.  May it be so.  Amen.

¹Thomas Moore, The Care of the Soul. New York: Harper Collins, 1992, pp. 182.                ²Ibid, p. 187.