May is Asian Heritage Month, and the perfect time to prayerfully reflect on the contributions of Asian Canadians to Canadian society. Liturgies, songs, and other material that can be used in Asian Heritage Month services can be found on our Worship Resources pages.
May is Asian Heritage Month. The month provides a continuing opportunity to prayerfully reflect on the contributions of Asian Canadians to our church and Canadian society and to honour and celebrate this important aspect of Canadian history.
In church and society, Asian cultures and traditions are broad and diverse.
Comprising many language groups, cultural traditions, histories, and ways of expressing faith, Asian Canadians have many ways of being.
As we mark Black History Month or African Heritage Month in Canada, let us celebrate the many contributions of Black people to Canadian society and to the United Church.
Let us take time to remember African-Canadian history, the struggles and the haunting legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
God is calling us to find new ways of being church together. It is not simply a matter of continuing with traditions we have become comfortable with and allowing others to join us. Rather, our intercultural vision calls us to be aware of who is at the centre and who is at the margins and to empower those at the margins to lead us into change.
Creator, we come to you with both the joys and the sorrows of our hearts.
We are grateful for the gift of life and the joy that it can bring.
For families and friends who love us.
For allies who stick up for us,
even when we cannot risk sticking up for ourselves.
For the great diversity you have created in our world.
We pray for those who suffer from discrimination
because of their gender identity or sexual orientation.
Who worry about their employment or who cannot find a job.
People of every sexual orientation, gender expression, and gender identity have the right to live with dignity and without persecution or discrimination, we
Remember in our prayers:
LGBTQ+ people of Chechnya, Uganda, Zambia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and elsewhere who have been murdered and tortured because of who they are. We remember them and the people who love them.
Working toward racial justice in church and society is a lifelong journey. We must be open to learning from each other, with each other, and with the Spirit, so that we continue to break down barriers and build just institutions.
We are all made in the image of God, but people with disabilities have been excluded and shamed for who they are. This devotional from the Student Christian Movement of Canada’s asks: How should our faith shape us in this struggle?
Culture is similar to an iceberg—only about 10% is visible above the surface. The cultural iceberg is a helpful analogy to explore explicit and implicit aspects of culture.
A worship service with the theme of creating a culture of mutuality and full participation for those with disabilities and their allies (based on Mark 1:29-39).
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A worship service with the theme of creating a culture of mutuality and full participation for those with disabilities and their allies (based on Rom. 12:3–13).
