This is the seventh prayer in a Holston Conference series for racial justice.
LORD, we are grieving the racism in ourselves, in our church and in our country. We know our siblings are asking, “How much more must we endure? How much more can we endure?”
We ache with sorrow and pray that we may know your path for us. We acknowledge our brokenness and seek to march with strong, concise voice to oppose the systemic racism found at every turn.
The hypocrisy and cruelty of the status quo seem always at our flanks. Lord, help us to walk toward real healing and to live into the real resurrection: the resurrection that includes confronting those things which keep us from peace and wholeness.
United Methodists are very good at “hard” things. And struggles and challenges and injustices are hard. But we are in this together, loving others by not turning our backs or ignoring what is right in front of us. Help us see and accept the realities that our siblings facing racism live with every day. When we are downtrodden, give us strength to imagine a new way. Embolden us to speak up and to speak out when we see a racist act or hear a racist comment.
May the risen Christ touch our hurt and bring healing and freedom. May we be refreshed for this work. Lord, give us vitality to admit that racism exists and comportment to trample racism with the shoes of unity and solidarity. Keep us hopeful of seeing racial reconciliation and economic justice beyond the dust clouds under our many feet.
We pray for all who are crippled by white supremacy. We pray for white people honestly trying to confront this in themselves, in our church and in our country. We aspire to support our siblings who face the sting and trauma of racism daily. Many of them Black and Brown, travel paths with many shadows that are unseen by those of us sharing the same road. Please grant us perseverance to be agents of change, that we may use all that we have to change our world for the better.
Lord, we hear you calling us to climb the dream path ahead. We know you call us to share in this work of casting out racial injustice -- and to cast out the white supremacy in our lives, in our church and in our country. The time is now to move mountains, to tear down structures, to raise our voices.
Lord, may we in Holston Conference be an example of following you. Amen.
LORD, we are grieving the racism in ourselves, in our church and in our country. We know our siblings are asking, “How much more must we endure? How much more can we endure?”
We ache with sorrow and pray that we may know your path for us. We acknowledge our brokenness and seek to march with strong, concise voice to oppose the systemic racism found at every turn.
The hypocrisy and cruelty of the status quo seem always at our flanks. Lord, help us to walk toward real healing and to live into the real resurrection: the resurrection that includes confronting those things which keep us from peace and wholeness.
United Methodists are very good at “hard” things. And struggles and challenges and injustices are hard. But we are in this together, loving others by not turning our backs or ignoring what is right in front of us. Help us see and accept the realities that our siblings facing racism live with every day. When we are downtrodden, give us strength to imagine a new way. Embolden us to speak up and to speak out when we see a racist act or hear a racist comment.
May the risen Christ touch our hurt and bring healing and freedom. May we be refreshed for this work. Lord, give us vitality to admit that racism exists and comportment to trample racism with the shoes of unity and solidarity. Keep us hopeful of seeing racial reconciliation and economic justice beyond the dust clouds under our many feet.
We pray for all who are crippled by white supremacy. We pray for white people honestly trying to confront this in themselves, in our church and in our country. We aspire to support our siblings who face the sting and trauma of racism daily. Many of them Black and Brown, travel paths with many shadows that are unseen by those of us sharing the same road. Please grant us perseverance to be agents of change, that we may use all that we have to change our world for the better.
Lord, we hear you calling us to climb the dream path ahead. We know you call us to share in this work of casting out racial injustice -- and to cast out the white supremacy in our lives, in our church and in our country. The time is now to move mountains, to tear down structures, to raise our voices.
Lord, may we in Holston Conference be an example of following you. Amen.
Author
Pat Bellingrath
Pat Bellingrath is a member at Church Street United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. She is a founder and leader of the "Conversations on Race" group, currently organizing discussions on dismantling racism throughout Holston Conference.