Worship Resources
“For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.” Isaiah 25:4 NRSV
CALL TO WORSHIPGATHERING PRAYERLITANY HYMNSPRAYERBENEDICTION
Leader: We come together to worship and praise our creator
People: We give thanks to God, who is our refuge and our strength
Leader: As disciples of Christ we come together to serve God
People: Our faith calls us to be a refuge to the poor
Leader: In the midst of the storms of life we come together in peace
People: We offer refuge to those in distress
Leader: We come together as United Methodists offering hope to all who come through our doors
People: May our open hearts be a welcome refuge to all who enter
God of justice and mercy, we thank you for the abundance in our lives. We confess that it is easy for us to forget the blessings you have bestowed upon us. We pretend not to hear your children crying out for food. We choose not to see our homeless neighbors. Forgive us to for ignoring those who struggle to stay warm in the winter, who are left orphaned because of disease or war, and who are persecuted because of race or ethnicity. Guide us to reach out to the most vulnerable, sharing the gifts of your creation and wrapping them in your protective love. In the name of Jesus we pray.
Amen
Leader: Remembering the five loaves and fishes that fed the multitude, we affirm that all your people must be fed.
People: For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
Leader: Remembering the fair trade practices outlined by Amos, we affirm that all workers deserve a living wage for their goods.
People: For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
Leader: Remembering how you brought the Israelites out of slavery, we affirm that the chains of human trafficking must be forever broken.
People: For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
Leader: Remembering how your son, Jesus, was a refugee fleeing Herod, we affirm that doors should be held open to welcome the stranger.
People: For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
Leader: Remembering the stable you provided for Mary to give birth to Jesus, we affirm that all have the right to access to maternal health care
People: For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
Leader: Remembering your abiding love, we affirm our commitment to provide healing and hope to the world’s most vulnerable people and to be a refuge to people in distress.
The One Great Hour of Sharing offering supports works of justice and peace, restoration of self-sufficiency, and alleviation of hunger and disease. These hymns remind us how our calling as Christian disciples engages us with a hurting world. Selections are from The Faith We Sing (FWS) and The United Methodist Hymnal (UMH).
- Gather Us In (TFWS 2236)
- Here I am Lord (UMH 593)
- Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past (UMH 117)
- We’ll Understand It Better By and By (UMH 525)
- Mothering God You Gave Me Birth (TFWS 2050)
- Song of Hope (Canto de Esperanza) (TFWS 2186)
Most gracious and loving God we present these gifts as an offering to UMCOR so that they might continue to help your most vulnerable children around the world. We ask that you bless these gifts and multiply them to become food for the hungry, health for the sick and homes for those who do not have shelter.
With God’s blessing go out sharing the love of Christ. Through your actions be a refuge of hope with a prayer and smile to all you encounter.
The writer of these resources, Melissa Hinnen, is the Staff Writer at the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
