Order of Worship

Juneteenth Prayer Service
First United Methodist Church, Dallas
June 19, 2022

Gathering Song

They’ll Know We are Christians By Our Love

We are one in the Spirit,
we are one in the Lord,
We are one in the Spirit,
we are one in the Lord,
and we pray that all unity may one day be restored:
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love,
by our love;
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

Scripture – Psalm 13

Responsive Prayer
No one is born hating another person because of the color of their skin or their background or their religion.
Lord, help us to simply love.

Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity; it is an act of justice, protecting a fundamental human right: the right to dignity and a decent life.
Lord, help us to simply share.

Equal ease of access to resources and opportunities cannot be achieved while gender inequality limits economic participation and decision-making.
Lord, help us to know equity as your will for all humanity.

Recognition and acceptance of the wide variety of sexual orientations will help us understand the world you have – and are – creating.
Lord, help us to know respect as your will for all humanity.

Peace is not merely the absence of conflict. Peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish.
Lord, help us to identify and address violence in our communities and our world. Help us to follow the way of peace ourselves and to join with others to promote peace.

We are individuals with our own aspirations and agenda.
Lord, help us to see our uniqueness as one coin in the wealth of human diversity.

Our understanding of your will molds our vision and guides our efforts.
Lord, help us to do your will. Amen.

Prayer of Confession
God of love, forgive us in all the ways we have fallen short in the work of dismantling racism in our community and life. Give us your Spirit this day, that we might have the courage to not only repent to you, O God, but to those we have harmed in our actions and words. Help us to see how complacency and apathy have harmed our siblings who long to live in a world free of racism, and to declare our involvement in these actions. May this prayer of repentance be a continuous way of life for us from this day forward and may your creative vision for humanity drive us to be more engaged in the work of dismantling racism in our places of influence. In Christ’s sacrificial love we pray. Amen.

Silent Prayer

Assurance of Pardon

Song
We will walk with each other,
we will walk hand in hand,
We will walk with each other,
we will walk hand in hand,
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land:
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love,
by our love;
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

Sending Forth

If you have not signed up for the Racial Justice Prayer & Action Challenge,
please consider joining us: https://www.r2hub.org/racial-justice-prayer-action-challenge

Our responsive prayer is based on the writings and speeches of Nelson Mandela and edited by Bill Dunklau.
Prayer of Confession is adapted from the Racial Justice Prayer Action Challenge resource on repentance, Rev. Zach Anderson, p. 8.
The Closing Prayer is adapted from the Racial Justice Prayer and Action Challenge resource, Rev. Alka Lyall, p. 2.