The Dignity of Work

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The Dignity of Work

Christmas Eve

December 24, 2024 • Bishop Philip North • 2 Thessalonians 3:6–13

Press the play button to watch the video above or press 'more' to read the transcript of the daily devotion below. Please read 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 (use your own Bible or use the link above to access the in-App Bible).

‘We were not idle when we were with you.’ 2 Thessalonians 3:7

Tomorrow the Christ-child will be here. God will be born into His world. And the world into which Jesus will be born is a world of work.

Joseph, who was given a duty of care for God’s own son, was a carpenter. Many artistic depictions of Jesus in His early years imagine Jesus learning the skills of carpentry under Joseph’s tuition. Jesus lived and grew up in a world of work and trade.

It is no surprise, therefore, that in the concluding section of his letter Paul talks about work. He has some harsh words for those who are idle and are not making their contribution to the Christian community in Thessalonica. He reminds his audience of his own pattern of hard work (and we know from Acts 18 that Paul was a tentmaker by trade). And he gives some strong advice that those who do not work should not eat. There is no place for laziness in the Christian community.

Why is this all so important to Paul? Because work matters. If Jesus, God with us, grew up in the world of work, then there is a holiness to work. Work is not a necessary evil. It is part of God’s plan for our lives. It has a dignity because it means that we can make a contribution to the community rather than being a burden to it.

For many, work means going out and doing a job to earn the income that supports family life. That work is sacred. It contributes to society, it means that we can support the weak and it also provides an opportunity to bear witness to Christ in the workplace.

Others are called to other forms of work: that may be bringing up children full-time, volunteering, caring for a family member, hospitality or the vital work of prayer. But Paul reminds us that every member of the Christian community, no matter what their age or status, can make a contribution.

As you prepare to celebrate Jesus being born in to the world of work, why not find some time to reflect on what your contribution to your own Christian community will be in 2025.

The Rt Revd Philip North, Bishop of Blackburn.

More from Advent 2024 The Lord will Come

What's Next for Lent 2025?

November 21, 2024 • Sarah Marston , Mike Print

As we have come to the end of our Advent Devotionals, we hear from Revd Mike Print, the editor of the Advent and Lent Devotional booklets, about how we can continue this pattern of reading the bible and prayer into the New Year. We will also hear about what we will be reading in our Lent devotionals in 2025.

#Grace

December 25, 2024 • Bishop Jill Duff • 2 Thessalonians 3:14–18

Press the play button to watch the video above or press 'more' to read the transcript of the daily devotion below. Please read 2 Thessalonians 3:14-18 (use your own Bible or use the link above to access the in-App Bible) ‘I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.’ 2 Thessalonians 3:17 ‘I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, with every Christmas card I write,’ goes the Christmas countdown classic. Today the countdown is over. Here we are. Christmas Day. May I wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas. As beautiful as our Advent Devotionals are, the printed word doesn’t quite have the same impact, as me writing personally to each one of you. There’s something about the hand-written touch that makes all the difference. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Lancaster, Paul Swarbrick, impressed me mightily with his hand-writing. I emailed him a question about the Lancaster Martyrs, and he replied with a two-sided A4 letter. Hand-written. ‘Because I can put more of myself into it’. If you’re a regular reader of the apostle Paul’s letters, you will notice that he often grabs the pen off his scribe at the end, to write a greeting in his own hand. And, more often than not, he adds a throwaway line which sums up his entire letter. As we come to the end of his letters to the church in Thessalonica, what is the sum up? ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you' (v. 18). In these earliest of Paul’s letters, his most important hashtag is #Grace. Paul finishes as he starts (1 Thess. 1:1, 2 Thess. 1:2) with grace. When he was taken up to heaven, presumably at the start of his ministry, Paul heard Jesus say: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Cor. 12:9). A tiny baby, mothered by an unmarried teenager, born amongst the animals because there was no room at the inn… that’s God’s grace in weakness. For some of us, today is a joy – unwrapping presents with excited children, singing carols with the angels. For some it may be more of a quiet surrender in the pain – family tensions, empty seat at the table. But whether you celebrate in joy or surrender in weakness – may you know His grace this Christmas Day. Amen The Rt Revd Jill Duff, Bishop of Lancaster.

Direct our hearts

December 23, 2024 • Bishop Joe Kennedy • 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5

Press the play button to watch the video above or press 'more' to read the transcript of the daily devotion below. Please read 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 (use your own Bible or use the link above to access the in-App Bible). ‘May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.’ 2 Thessalonians 3:5 As St. Paul draws his Second Letter to the Thessalonians towards its close, he asks his readers to pray for protection for his ministry. As he makes this prayer request, Paul paints a beautiful picture of God’s Word ‘spreading rapidly’ [literally ‘running’] and ‘being glorified’ (v.1). The picture here is of God’s Word, like an Olympic athlete, winning the Gold Medal. But Paul also sees that, in this race, God’s Word will face competition from other voices, who want airtime and attention for themselves. As we approach Christmas, this can easily be true in our lives. God’s Word can be easily come second, behind the many distractions of the Christmas celebrations. Today’s reading invites us to make time to be quiet and to listen to God speak to us in his Word. More generally, our reading invites us to pray that God’s Word will ‘win the race’ and have first place everywhere this Christmastide. As we read on, St. Paul tells us that when he pictures the Thessalonians, he has ‘confidence in the Lord’ (v.4). Paul trusts that the Lord will keep the Thessalonians safe and close to Himself. In our time today with God’s Word, here is also a prayer we can make our own – that God will keep us close to Himself throughout the day. May He direct our hearts today to His love and to the steadfastness of Christ. To speak, as Paul does, of Jesus’ steadfastness is to speak of His hope-filled ‘staying power’ in the face of suffering. Most of all, Christ showed this steadfastness as He suffered for us at the cross. As we look into the manger this Christmastide, and see the wonder of God having become an infant, so too we look to the cross, where we see the height and depth of God’s love for us. Let us pray: Lord God, this Christmas, direct our hearts to the manger and the cross, that there we may see Jesus our Saviour and respond afresh to His love. Amen. The Rt Revd Joe Kennedy, Bishop of Burnley.