"Let Justice Roll on Like a River": Litany for Human Relations Day

(The first part of this litany is conversational. You may divide parts between men and women or between the right side and left side of the sanctuary.)

Voice One: The prophet Amos screams, "Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream." (Amos 5:24)

Voice Two: Burst through the stone walls of our institutions and irrigate the land with glad tidings.

Voice One: Let mercy and peace and justice and righteousness cascade like a waterfall that all may have an opportunity to be, as God intended us to be.

Voice Two: Look, see, listen, Arise for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1)

Voice Two: Where are those who will bring God's light to those who live in the dark watery chaos of society?

Voice One: (Points to congregation) You remove the bushel from the lamp stand and carry the light that our forebears carried over the past decades and centuries.

Voice Two: Let us begin again. Hold high the light that dispels the darkness from our homes, our schools, our prisons, the seat of our lawmakers, the overseers of our economy, and even from those who teach our faith.

Voice One: The Spirit of the Lord is upon us for the Spirit has anointed us to bring good news to the poor and to set at liberty those who are oppressed, imprisoned, marginalized, ostracized and decimated. (Isaiah 61:1-2, Luke 4:18-19)

ALL: Praise God, we are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord and we have one intention -- to renovate and rebuild. We shall wait upon the Lord who shall renew our strength. We shall mount up with wings as eagles, we shall run and not be weary, we shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

The Rev. T. Anne Daniel is the pastor of Wakefield Grace United Methodist Church, Bronx, NY.