During this election season, we encourage you to find a time to pray with friends and family, people from your church or small group, and maybe even your neighbors. We have prepared this short liturgy to guide you. Set aside 15 minutes for this time of prayer.  Sit in a circle (if praying with others) and light a candle.

“A vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and our children, and our prayers are stronger when we pray together.”

– Rev. Raphael Warnock

ELECTION LITURGY

Light A Candle

Song

Heaven Help Us
written by Kirk Bolen (TC15)

Heaven help us, God come near us
Do what only you can do
Heaven help us, Father hear us
We’re crying out to you

Falling on our knees, we lift our eyes
to where our help comes from
Calling on your name, Lord, hear our cries
pour out your perfect love

Scripture Reading Philippians 4:5-7 (NRSV)

5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Silence  (3 to 5 minutes)

Surrendering Our Fears

Take turns saying out loud the fears and concerns you are holding at this moment.  After you name these, hold them quietly in God’s presence reminding yourself that God is bigger than any fear, any burden, any obstacle, any division, any disunity, any hatred, and any lie. If it helps, sit with your hands open on your lap as a symbol of holding these concerns in God’s presence.  Whatever you are experiencing, God can handle it.  Write your fears/burdens on a piece of paper and then bring them to the altar (or a receptacle that has been created for this purpose) as a symbol of trusting your fears and concerns to God. Or it might be meaningful to throw the paper into the trash as a symbol of choosing not to hold onto or live out of fear.

As you engage in these symbolic actions, have someone in your group read the scriptures below.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NRSV)
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

1 Peter 5:7 (NRSV)
Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

Prayer for Civic Engagement¹

If praying as a group, consider alternating who reads the “one” lines as a way to have more voices represented, keeping in mind diversity of gender, ethnicity and/or age.

One: O God of justice and peace, in this season of Ordinary time, we pause to reflect on the extraordinary call You place upon our lives to be faithful witnesses in all we do.

All: As we approach the time of decision in our nation, we ask for Your guidance and wisdom. Help us discern what is right and just.

One: Help us engage with a spirit of love and humility.

All: May our participation in the civic process be a reflection of our commitment to Your Kingdom, where righteousness and equity dwell.

One: We remember the sacrifices of those who came before us, who fought for the rights and freedoms we now hold.  May their courage inspire us to be vigilant and proactive in ensuring that these rights are protected for all.

All: Let our voting be an act of faithfulness, not only to our beliefs but also to the future generations who will inherit the decisions we make today.  Strengthen our resolve to work for a society that mirrors Your compassion, justice and peace.

One: As we prepare our hearts and minds to engage in this civic duty, remind us that our actions are a testament to the faith we profess.  May we be instruments of Your peace in our communities, advocating for justice and mercy with every step we take.

All: Guide our nation, O Lord, and help us be Your hands and feet in this world, committed to building a future that honors You and uplifts all of Your children.  Amen.

Silence

(Ask God for Wisdom. What action/s do you need to take before voting?  Are there any conversations you need to have?  Is there any research you need to do?  Ponder how your vote will impact your neighbors and our shared future.)

Poem

(A moment of reflection on democracy)

“Democracy”
Langston Hughes

Democracy will not come
Today, this year
Nor ever
Through compromise and fear.

I have as much right
As the other fellow has
To stand
On my two feet
And own the land.

I tire so of hearing people say,
Let things take their course.
Tomorrow is another day.
I do not need my freedom when I’m dead.
I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread.

Freedom
Is a strong seed
Planted
In a great need.

I live here, too.
I want freedom
Just as you.

Blessing

(To be read together in unison.)

God, You are Mighty and Merciful. We are grateful for
the right to vote, and we will not take it for granted.
Empower us to prepare our hearts to vote in a way that reflects
Your justice, peace and compassion.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Encourage One Another

It is a strength for all of us to know that we are praying together across the country and around the world.

1. Leave a comment below with the state or country you will be praying in.  Please note your comment may not show up right away. Please refrain from making political statements.
2. Use the share buttons below to encourage others to join us in praying about our election.

¹ Adapted from Sacred Votes: A Guide to Election Participation, Justice and Social Transformation. https://www.umcjustice.org/documents/336.  30-35.

Read more: Praying together for our election

At a recent staff meeting of the Transforming Center, Ruth shared about an energizing conversation she had recently with Gary Haugen in preparation for our upcoming Alumni Retreat. In addition to the important topics they had already planned, together they agreed to create space for the hard conversation about the misuse of power in Christian communities. Ruth says, “As Christians, we don’t know what to do with power” and notes how the misuse of power is contributing to the crisis of leadership in the Church and the resulting crisis of confidence in the Church.

This retreat will include an intimate dialogue with attendees, Ruth, and Gary Haugen, CEO of International Justice Mission, on the nature of power and how systems collude to make the ongoing abuse of power possible. What do we as Christians understand about power and what are we to do with power? What culpability do each of us have when the abuse of power in the systems we are a part of starts coming to light? And how can we use our own power for good in healthy ways?

“No one understands the dynamic of power in systems better than Gary,” Ruth went on to say. “One reason IJM’s mission is so unique and effective is that not only do they rescue victims of human trafficking, they confront the systems that make this dark practice possible. Gary has so much that is of value to say to those of us seeking to understand systems and how we can use power for good within them.”

If you are an alumnus of a Transforming Community®, the Alumni Retreat is open only to alumni and guests. The conversations that take place there will not be available outside of the retreat experience itself.

Register for the Alumni Retreat here.

Click below to listen in as Ruth speaks to our staff about her excitement regarding this unique opportunity—and why you absolutely do not want to miss this conversation.

For more of Gary’s perspectives on power, read this article on evangelicals and racial issues.

You can read more about the Alumni Retreat here.

“You Don’t Want to Miss This Conversation”

“The Right Question” to Ask

Read more: The Alumni Retreat: “We don’t know what to do with power.”