O God, you desire the liberation of all oppressed peoples

Leader: O God, you desire the liberation of all oppressed peoples.

People: All of us have experienced oppression, of one kind or another. Some of us have suffered extra oppression because we are different from the “norm.”

Leader: O God, we may be immigrants, minority racial or ethnic groups, gays, lesbians, bisexual or transgendered. Some of us have been treated as outcasts, unwelcomed, not equal.

People: Yet you created us the way we are: our race, our gender, our sexual orientation. You love us, welcome us, you affirm our identity.

Leader: O God, we know that we are not saved or justified by our works but by your grace and love.

All: All of us are grateful for your welcoming, affirming, and steadfast love toward all your children. We are your daughters and sons; you are our loving Parent. We celebrate and bear witness to our liberation, our acceptance by you. We long for the day when all societies can see all people as You see them. Amen.

Written by Leon Clymore. Call to Worship at Oakhurst Baptist Church, Decatur, Georgia on October 13, 2013. After the service, many members went to the Atlanta Gay Pride Parade to ride on or march alongside the church’s two floats in the parade.