Call to Worship: Welcome the Stranger

Written by Rev. Dr. Christie Love

The Old Testament taught that strangers were to be welcomed and treated with respect. Hospitality was a holy act and those who came into their regions and cities should be treated with honor. 

We gather to understand this teaching today. 

The New Testament calls followers of Jesus to welcome and care for the stranger. In showing kindness and compassion to those whose stories and struggles are unknown to us, we are caring for Christ himself, who early in his life sought asylum in another country. 

We gather to Process how to apply this call in our lives today. 

Today there are strangers who flee their homelands for a variety of reasons; climate change, political violence, hunger/famine, war, and the hope for a better life for themselves and their families. As followers of Jesus, we are called to treat all people with dignity, respect, and compassion. 

We gather here to hold space for those who are suffering and seeking safety and stability. 

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Prayer: 

God of all humanity, Help us to see past rhetoric and resolutions. Focus our eyes on the image of God that each person bears. Guide us to see our world not through divisions but through the unity of Kin-dom.