Prayers for the 75th anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush arriving in Britain on 22 June 1948.
Confession / Repentance
God of Justice,
help us to listen to the voices that say things are not as they should be.
Tear down the veil of fear and lies
so we see the sins being committed against people
because of the colour of their skin.
Help us to trust You to do a good work in us,
to give us a renewing of the mind
when it comes to facing racial injustice,
past and present.
Break our hearts
just as Yours breaks for those who have been hurt
and those who continue to be affected by racism today.
And let us not just console or empathise.
Remind us that with each step we take to follow You,
with each thought we take captive to make obedient to You,
and with each loving action we take,
that we are being formed and shaped to be more like Jesus.
Jesus who challenged and stood up to injustice.
God, You said that what we do to others, we do to You.
Let that truth guide us each day.
And when the concern and the pain grow weak within us,
let us stop and listen
and remember why we began this journey.
Let the anguish and the desire to make things better
be made fresh within us until the fire is rekindled
and we burn with love and righteousness
to seek justice for all people.
God, we pray for our leaders and people with great power.
Work in them to be people who seek the good for all people,
especially the Windrush generation,
and who work to make the places they govern
just, fair and kind.
- Deborah Ross, Sankofa Collective UK
Thanksgiving / Gratitude
God, we thank You for the Windrush generation and their descendants.
We celebrate Your image in each and every single person.
We acknowledge who they are,
their gifts, talents, culture and way of life.
We thank You for the many contributions they have made to our society,
and we pray a blessing over them and their generations.
We celebrate them with joy and gladness in our hearts.