Worship Resources for Refugee Justice

The following prayers and litanies are only a sample of the resources available from the new Refugee Justice toolkit. Want more? You can find sermon examples, children's messages, children's books, Sunday school plans, film discussion questions, and much more in the toolkit. And coming soon, a 90-minute workshop! 

For the Courage to Do Justice

O Lord,
open our eyes that we may see the needs of refugees;
open our ears that we may hear people's cries for justice;
open our hearts that we may assist sojourners near and far.

Show us
where love, hope and faith are needed.

Use us as ministers of your healing.

Let us not be afraid
to protect the weak because of the anger of the strong,
or to defend the poor because of the power of the rich.

Sustain us so that in these coming days
we may be able to do some work of peace for you.

We ask these things in your blessed name. You taught us to pray....

From http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/refugees/rworship.stm

Call to Worship

Leader: Lord, we are your gathered people, come together to be one with refugees, asylum seekers and displaced people whose lives have been dislocated by war, famine and injustice. By our presence here we express our solidarity with them in their search for a new life, a new home, a new promise.

All: Lord, clear our eyes that we may see the suffering of the refugee.

Open our ears that we may hear the cries of those deep in despair.

Release our feet that we may walk on paths where some comfort we may spread.

Unloosen our tongues that we might speak your words of hope and love.

Open our hearts that we may be truly hospitable to the stranger in our midst.

From liturgy: Offering Hospitality to Refugees www.crcna.org

Prayer of Confession

Leader: Knowing that our God walks with us in our confusion, our doubts, our failings,

our struggles, we now come humbly before God to ask for mercy.

Leader: For the times we fail to offer hospitality to those in our world who suffer

injustice, oppression, and poverty, we pray:

Response: God, have mercy on us and your people

Leader: For the times we lack courage to address the causes of injustice, oppression and

poverty, we pray to our God:

Response: God, have mercy on us and on your people.

Leader: For the times we give in to despair and resignation when confronted with the

injustice of our world, we pray to our God:

Response: God, have mercy on us and on your people.

Leader: For the times we allow our fears to triumph over the call to solidarity, we pray to

our God:

Response: God, have mercy on us and on your people.

All: Merciful God, receive our petitions. Heal the brokenness in our hearts and in our

world caused by injustice, indifference, selfishness and fear. Open our hearts to hear the

cries of your suffering people. Support us as we seek to respond in solidarity and with

hospitality. Amen.

From liturgy: Offering Hospitality to Refugees www.crcna.org

Affirmation of Faith

Leader: It is the will of God that no one should go away thirsty.

All: It is the will of God that all who ask will be received.

Leader: It is the will of God that none should be driven out of their homes and communities.

All: It is the will of God that Christ’s love be available to all the world.

Leader: It is the will of God that we should be light to a waiting and broken world.

All: It is the will of God that we love the world as Christ has loved us.

From liturgy: Offering Hospitality to Refugees www.crcna.org

[Image: Flickr user Isabel Esterman]