Change The World, Change Ourselves
Rev. Erik Swanson
September 6, 2026
Paul’s message to the church in Rome is powerful (Romans 12: 1-21). Paul describes a vision of who we can become: more whole, more loving, more wise, more grounded, and more deeply connected to God. But on this Labor Day weekend, I find myself asking a practical question: What work do we need to do to get there?
Getting More Deeply Connected to God
This can feel overwhelming and far away. The only way we get there, though, is step by step — by working at it, grinding away, constantly growing, seeing the world and ourselves differently, and learning to connect with God in whatever we are doing.
We often think of work as our occupations: pastor, dentist, doctor, homemaker, fisherman, banker, artist, retiree. But labor includes so much more: repairing things, building relationships, communicating, cleaning, organizing, caring for others, raising children, and countless other things that fill our hours and require us to give something of ourselves. What is your labor? What do you devote your time and your life to?
Work And Finding A Moment Of Communion
One of the great challenges of spirituality is learning how to connect with the Living God in the midst of all that work. Recently, I was working on a woodworking project that was going badly. I had measured incorrectly, hadn’t cut enough, and had to redo the whole thing. I was frustrated and muttering under my breath when I suddenly said out loud, “I am so far from my center right now.” I realized I had allowed my frustration to take me away from any awareness of God. I had closed myself off from what could have been a moment of communion — a moment when even my frustration and my work could have become holy ground.
Doing The Spiritual Work
That experience made me wonder: When was the last time I spent two and a half hours doing spiritual work? A few of us worked on the church grounds recently, and in two and a half hours we accomplished a lot. I love working with my hands. I can garden, build, fix things, and work for hours without thinking twice about it. But why does spiritual work sometimes require so much more intention?
Spiritual Or Secular?
I also believe we need to reject the idea that work is either spiritual or secular. All work can become spiritual when we intentionally open ourselves to God within it. We can dig in the garden while paying attention to the Spirit. We can teach children while remaining aware of God's presence. Physical, emotional, and mental work can all become expressions of justice, peace, hope, and love.
What God Cares About
One of my spiritual mentors once told me that God needs faithful people working at Home Depot just as much as God needs pastors in churches. I believe that. God cares less about what we do than about who we are and how we do what we do. A pastor who abuses people is not doing God's work. A coal miner who treats others with love, dignity, and justice may be embodying God's Spirit beautifully. The hierarchy we create around occupations, income, status, or popularity is often completely upside down from what God values.
At the same time, we cannot simply declare something “God's work” when our behavior contradicts God's ways. People have done terrible things while claiming divine authority. That is not spiritual work.
Listen For God’s Voice
So I encourage all of us to listen for God's voice, calling, challenge, or invitation in every part of our lives. Wherever we are, whatever we are doing, can become a place of sacred encounter. The question is: How do we create sacred space right where we are?
Finding Your Spiritual Work
And then there is the deeper question: What is your spiritual work in this season of your life? I cannot answer that for you. Perhaps you will discover it in silence, in reflection, in the places where you struggle, or in those moments when you realize you are far from God. Perhaps you will see it by comparing the person you are today with the grounded, loving, wise person you long to become.
When you discover that work, take it up. Face into it. Work toward becoming more whole, more wise, more loving, and more connected to God. Ask yourself: Who do I want to be? Who does God long for me to become? And what is my work in getting there?
A Partnership
This transformation is a partnership between us and the Spirit. God accompanies us, guides us, gives us insight and strength — but God does not do the work for us. God may be the gas in the tank, but we are the engine and the car. God may give us the energy, but we are the ones who have to swing the hammer, cut the boards, and build the masterpiece that is our lives.
For too long, superficial religion has allowed us to avoid responsibility for our own transformation. But God calls us toward freedom and liberation, and we have a part to play. Where do we need to change? What old patterns are holding us back? What do we need to release so that a new and holy version of ourselves can emerge?
The Sacredness Of Our Work
May this Labor Day remind us of the sacredness of all our work. Every part of our lives can become holy ground. God calls us, empowers us, and longs to transform us — but we must say yes. We must do the work of following and embodying the Spirit.
How we embody love, hope, joy, peace, and justice makes all the difference. How we partner with God in the work of our own transformation makes all the difference — for us and for the world.
May we be people who embody the Spirit in everything we do, today and always. Amen.