Labor Day began as a parade in New York City to honor working people in 1882. The idea took hold, and Congress passed a law in 1894 designating the first Monday in September as a national holiday. The reformer Martin Luther is credited with recovering vocation to general Christian use. Prior to Martin, vocation as calling had a narrow ecclesiastical focus and was reserved for religious professionals. Martin insisted that the work of monks and priests does not differ from common laborers. As he said in his classic quote, “God is milking the cows through the vocation of the milkmaid.” In his words, “The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on shoes but by making good shoes because God is interested in good craftsmanship.” While Martin is best known for his conviction that justification before God is by faith in Christ alone, our justification in society is dependent on our good work and faithful actions.
Martin Luther’s sense of vocation is deeply rooted in the Genesis creation story. Creator God is introduced as One who toils to make the heavens and the earth. God assigns Adam and Eve the role of working and caring for this garden paradise (Gen. 2.15). Work, therefore, is integral to creation. While sin brings toil and drudgery to work, work is given intrinsic value in God’s original design. “Every occupation has its own honor before God,” Martin said. Any task that promotes human flourishing is good work to be done.
Konrad Hubert (1507-1577) is one of the lesser-known Protestant reformers. He served for eighteen years as an assistant to Martin Bucer, a more prominent Reformation leader. Konrad labored to make Martin Bucer’s ideas and comments readable since his handwriting was virtually illegible. Konrad was also an able hymnwriter. One of his hymns, “I trust, O Christ, in You Alone,” includes the prayer: