Hope in Hard Times Call to Worship

Written by Rev. Dr. Christie Love

Call to Worship

Our nation often declares in unison that we are “one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." However, in this place, we name the truth of our current divisions and the reality that liberty, justice, and due process are not offered to all people in our nation today. In this context, we gather in the spirit of the prophet Jeremiah to declare together:

Yet, we still dare to hope.

We hold hope for the healing of our deep divides. We hold hope for the just and equitable treatment of all people. We hold hope for the end of war and violence in our world. We hold hope that common ground can again be found in the work for the common and greater good for all people. O God, hear us as we declare together:

We still dare to hope.

We hold hope that the collective church in our nation will return to the ministry of love, compassion, mercy, peacemaking, justice, and healing rather than the pursuit of power. We hold hope that the collective church can reclaim our prophetic voice of speaking truth to power rather than being silent in spaces where people are harmed or treated unfairly. We hold hope that the church can and should be an agent of change in the world rather than a space of harm or hurt. God hear us, our collective prayer:

Honor our hope. Help us to embody our hope in our words and actions. May our hope be a light in the darkness. May our hope be a bridge across divisions. May our hope inspire the hopes, prayers, and perspectives of others. May it be so, amen.