Home Equipping Leaders African American An Affirmation for Kwanzaa: A 21st Century Africana Liturgy Resource

An Affirmation for Kwanzaa: A 21st Century Africana Liturgy Resource

An Affirmation for Kwanzaa
Many: Umoja!
One: I believe in the Unity of the community of Triune God, the Three-in-One God who creates, saves, and sustains, who expects us to practice Umoja, unity in diversity, and build up our communities, stand together, pray together, worship together, fight injustice together, and love one another as Christ loves us.

Many: Kujichagulia, Ujima!
One: I believe in the self-determining Triune God, who determined the measurements for the foundation of the earth, who determined to create humanity by saying, "Let us make humankind in our own image," expecting us to practice Kujichagulia, defining ourselves according to the will of God and speaking for ourselves the words given by the Holy Spirit. Our God expects us to practice Ujima and assemble ourselves that we may edify one another. God expects us to take responsibility for collectively aiding one another to work out our own salvation, knowing that it is God working in us, re-creating in us the perfect image of Jesus Christ.

Many: Ujamaa, Nia!
One: I believe in Provider God who wants us to have our own vine and fig trees, enjoining us to practice Ujamaa, earning all we can, saving all we can, and giving all we can so that our communities will be self-sustaining and reflect the blessing and favor of God. I believe in God, who provides for our need and not our greed, and has given each child of God purpose, Nia, which is to be in communion and relationship with God and with the children of God.

Many: Kuumba!
One: I believe that God is so creative that a virgin did bear a son by the Holy Spirit; so creative that Jesus Christ did suffer and die on a cross for my sins, rise from the dead for my salvation, and return to heaven for my hope. I believe that God is so creative that Jesus isgonna come back and gather all the saints to him in that great gettin' up mornin.' I believe that God expects us to practice Kuumba, Creativity: to be creative enough to find a cure for AIDS, to provide excellent education for all children, to make sure that all of God's children have health care, food, and clean water. I believe that being created in the likeness of God means that we have the imagination, the intelligence, and the capacity to envision peace, to carry out justice, to do acts of mercy, and to love our neighbor.

Many: Imani!
One: I have the faith to believe that with God all things are possible. I will practice Imani and honor my ancestors on whose shoulders I stand. By their work, institutions for learning were founded and sustained; by their creativity, jazz, blues, and gospel songs came into being; by their work, we gained the level of freedom that we have this day. I will practice Imani, hoping that the teachers and leaders of our community and nation will remain true to the cause of freedom and faith. I will practice Imani, knowing that it takes a village to raise children, and in my hands and heart lie the ability to help raise up children for God. I believe that God lives in me and in you; and together we can show forth the kingdom until Christ shall come again.

All: Amen.

• • • •

The Rev. Marilyn E. Thornton is the Lead Editor for African American Resources at The United Methodist Publishing House and the Pastor of Spiritual Formation and Worship Arts at South End UMC in Nashville, Tennessee.

"Affirmation for Kwanzaa" Copyright © 2006 Marilyn E. Thornton. All Rights Reserved. Posted with permission on the Discipleship Ministries Worship website: www.umcworship.org.

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