May the virtue of our daily work
hallow our nightly prayers.
May our sleep be deep and soft
so our work be fresh and hard.

                                   - Celtic Daily Prayers.

Sometimes I get the feeling that evangelical churches spend so much time focused on the "gathered worship" of Sunday that they neglect to emphasize the "scattered worship" throughout the rest of the week. This old celtic prayer reminded me of the importance of our calling or vocation. Let me explain. Adam was given a job to do in the garden before they fell into sin (Gen. 2:15-25). He was given what theologians call the "cultural mandate." Create culture by filling and tilling. This was "work" and it was beautiful, enjoyable, and God-honoring. Essentially, his early work was that of a gardener and a zoologist. He tended the field and named animals, among other things. Hardly what we in the evangelical world would consider "spiritual work", but it seemed to be okay with the God that commissioned this endeavor, since he called it all good.

I meet a lot of brothers and sisters each week that feel like their particular work, whether it be swinging a hammer, or driving a truck, or writing software is somehow less than holy. I like to remind them that having a right view of the "priesthood of all believers" shows how all of life is sacred, that all legitimate callings are worthwhile and can be used to glorify their creator by "virtue of our daily work." The point of the prayer is that nightly rest should enable us to go hard after God in our daily work (whatever that happens to be), and that in doing so, our God is pleased for it is what he has called us to. 

What does this have to do with worship? Glad you asked. What if we encouraged such a holistic view of life on Sunday? What if we didn't separate "secular from sacred" in our language, prayers, songs, and preaching? What if we encouraged our carpenters to be the best at their craft? What if we encouraged our baristas to make the best latte' they could (it's an artform!)? What if we told our stay-at-home moms how important they were in developing the next generation? What if we told our drivers that if they didn't get their goods delivered on time we wouldn't be able to eat? What if we gave back the dignity that our God envisioned for Adam in the garden - to see all of life restored in worship seven days a week. Then on Sundays we could gather as God's people and rejoice in the virtue of the daily work he has given us, be refreshed and encouraged to to scatter and do it all again. What if....? 

Our Holy Father,

We are thankful that your mercy is higher than the heavens, wider than our wanderings, and deeper than our sin. Forgive our frivolous attitude toward life, our callousness toward suffering, our envy of those who have more than we have, our obsession with creating a life of mere pleasure, our indifference to the treasures of heaven, our neglect of your wise and gracious Word.

Help us change our way of life:

So that we may desire what is good,

Love what you love,

And follow your commands.

Through Christ our Lord we ask these things, God. Amen.

Merciful God,

Our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and far too deep to undo. Forgive what our lips are afraid to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment. Set us free from a past we cannot change; and grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image; through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen.

O Lord, you are infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, glorious and holy, full of love and compassion, abundant in grace and truth: All your works praise you, and your glory is revealed in your Son Jesus Christ; therefore, we bow down before you in worship and praise you Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, blessed forever. Amen.

O gracious and holy God, give us dilligence to seek you, wisdom to understand you, and patience to wait for you. Grant us, O God, a mind to meditate on you, eyes to behold you, ears to listen for your Word, a heart to love you and one another, and a life to proclaim your goodness, through the inspiration of your Spirit and by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Our Father, to whom belongs our adoration and praise, we ask that you will prepare us, through the presence of your Spirit, to come before you worthily and to ask of you rightly. May all who worship with us this day present their bodies as living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to you. Shed your light on our human understanding, cleanse our desires and motives, stir our wills to obedience to your Word. Direct that your name might be exalted this hour in this assembly. May our worship glorify you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

- Paul E. Engle, Baker's Worship Handbook