Prayer Service Outline for the Racial Justice Prayer & Action Challenge
*The prayer service below is designed to take worshippers from lamentation to liberation. Communion will be the focal point of the service, with the option for a sermon or a meditation/devotion time. Prayers may be in Spanish, Tagalog, French, Korean, and English. In addition, you may select the prayers from the Racial Justice Prayer and Action Challenge weeks.
*You can also consider the template below as a starting point. You may consider creating this prayer service as a movement of the community – prayer stations. You can identify six distinct locations in your church, sanctuary, fellowship hall, or even outside of the building that you would move to for each prayer area. Those locations may have an image or a giant printout of the prayer they would join. You may also consider using singing, instrumental music, etc. to lead people from one station to another.
Gathering Music
Words of Welcome
Share with the gathered community the purpose of the prayer service.
Siblings in Christ, we gather in this space to be a community that takes the time to be in intentional prayer for a world that continues to experience racial injustices. Our time together will walk us from lamentation to liberation with prayers that have been written by leaders across the globe for the Racial Justice Prayer and Action challenge of The General Commission on Religion and Race of The United Methodist Church. We will experience silence, scripture, prayers in unison, and communion during this time. Let us now center ourselves on the One who created all of us and proclaimed it to be good!
Opening Hymn/Song
or Centering Lament Song: "Lament" words by Mark Miller & Adam Tice, music by Mark Miller
Scripture Reading: Psalms 13
If you want to make this interactive, you may have post-it notes for people to answer the following question: What is your lament today? They can place them on a table or wall as the collective lament of the community and then follow it with the prayer of lamentation.
Prayer of Lamentation
Hymn/Song
suggested Lament song choice: Prayer of Lamentation - YouTube
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 1:16-17
Prayer of Healing
Hymn/Song on Healing
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 58:12
Prayer of Repentance
Remembrance of Baptism
suggested liturgy for this act: https://enfleshed.com/liturgy/remembrance-of-baptism
Celebration of Holy Communion
consider using the following Communion liturgies by Rev. Mary Johnson:
Communion Liturgy: Black Lives Matter — R-Squared (r2hub.org)
Great Thanksgiving – Communion Liturgy Celebrating Cultural Diversity — R-Squared (r2hub.org)
Hymn/Song
or centering song reaffirming our communal identity and belief in God: I Believe - YouTube
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Prayer of Reconciliation
Hymn/Song
Scripture Reading: Job 14:7-9
Prayer of Hope
Hymn/Song
You may play a video that prepares people to claim the power of Jesus Christ as people of courage and not fear. E.g. "God Has Not Given a Spirit of Fear" words & music by Mark A Miller, Lydia Muñoz, vocalist
Scripture Reading: Luke 4:18-19
Prayer of Liberation
Song of Celebration
Sending Forth
Go forth as Justice Seekers in world of dire need for God’s justice and grace to be experienced! Amen!