On fifth Sundays at Keystone United Church of Christ in Seattle, Washington, the three churches that worship in the building join in a combined cantor quartet. This happened on Labor Day weekend, Aug. 31, and together they sang (to the tune of “Joyful, Joyful”): “Worker Spirit, inspiration, you infuse each living soul, calling us to lives of justice till each heart is free and whole.”
This song, “Worker God Who Built Creation,” was written by Amanda Udis-Kessler specifically for Labor Sunday 2025. And the folks at Keystone UCC were ready to breathe life into these lyrics and join churches across the United Church of Christ participating in the denomination’s designated Labor Sunday.
The Keystone UCC congregation has strong ties to local labor leaders, and the Seattle Labor Choir practices at the church, said the Rev. Adina Meyer, the church’s pastor. Because their congregation of around 30 includes many longtime activists, Meyer said that incorporating an economic justice focus into this particular Sunday fit right into their typical worship. She described the church as “an Open and Affirming, justice-centered congregation dedicated to collective liberation.”
Keystone UCC hosted “Labor in the Pulpit” speakers representing local union ProTec17 and Seattle’s Workers Strike Back movement.
But one unique element on Labor Sunday was the two labor leaders who attended and shared about their work. One of the speakers was connected to a local Seattle movement called Workers Strike Back, and, through connecting with UCC Economic Justice Minister Rev. Seth Wispelwey and the Labor in the Pulpit program, the church also hosted a representative of ProTec17, a local union representing thousands of professional and technical employees. Meyer noted the value of offering perspectives from both an activist and traditional union rep.
Breaking down divisions
For Meyer, whose background is in inclusive Catholic community, it felt fitting to center a 1940 quote from Christian mystic and labor organizer Dorothy Day: “The doctrine of the mystical Body of Christ involves today the issue of unions (where men call each other brothers); it involves the racial question; it involves cooperatives, credit unions, crafts … It is with all these means that we can live as though we believed indeed that we are all members of one another.”
The Seattle Labor Choir performed at a potluck at Keystone UCC in Seattle, Washington.
“She’s talking about everything,” Meyer said. “‘It is with all these means that we can live as though we believe indeed that we are all members of one another.’ To me, that’s the Christian message as Jesus prayed, and it’s the model of the United Church of Christ – that all may be one as you and I are one. Anything that hurts someone else hurts me, and anything that helps someone else helps me. The project is to break down those divisions.”
Meyer believes this division-breaking work happens in forming small communities, like church. At Keystone UCC, this looks like each Sunday’s announcements filled with invitations to join the protests and actions that congregants will be engaged with during the week, she said. On Labor Day, several congregants attended the Workers Over Billionaires protest, she said.
Congregants of Keystone UCC engage in regular protests and demonstrations.
‘Come join the fight’
After worship on Labor Sunday, the church held a potluck where the Seattle Labor Choir performed. The choir often sings at picket lines and demonstrations.
Gathered in the church basement, they sang, “Workers, workers, come join the fight, and get the joy of standing up for right.”
Any Sunday can be Labor Sunday. As Wispelwey seeks to revitalize Labor Sunday throughout the UCC, worship resources are available here and more economic justice resources are available here.
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