A Moment for Mission
“Speak. Your servant is listening.” —1 Samuel 3:10, CEB
Human Relations Day is a denomination-wide Special Sunday that celebrates and raises awareness about the strength of human relationships. A special offering is received the Sunday before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and contributes to building his vision of “the beloved community.” Dr. King showed us that our response to God’s call can be a powerful force for transformation throughout our society.
A portion of the Human Relations Day offering supports The Community Developers Program (CDP), which emerged from the civil rights movement in the early 1960s. Black Community Developers were recognized by the 1968 General Conference and the program became part of Global Ministries U.S. programming.
Today, the CDP strives to build, maintain, promote and strengthen racial-ethnic minority congregations of The United Methodist Church through local congregations. Community developers engage their communities and the local church in a variety of activities depending on a community’s needs.
Our gifts through the Human Relations Day offering pour out into the world, leading people out of challenging situations and into a life of abundant relationship with others and with God.
Children’s Message
Today’s memory verse comes from 1 Samuel 3:10, CEB. Please repeat after me:
“Speak. Your servant is listening.”
One night a boy named Samuel lay down to sleep. He heard God calling his name. He responded, “Speak. Your servant is listening.” Samuel learned to listen to God’s voice and follow God’s instructions with his whole heart.
Many thousands of years later, just like Samuel listened to God’s voice, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. also had a listening heart. He was a pastor and a servant leader who listened to the voice calling for justice, love and racial equality.
Following the examples of Samuel and Dr. King, we listen to God’s voice to help God’s people, especially those who are treated unfairly.
We are each a child of God, and each one of us is special and unique. On Human Relations Day, we remember how together we can help everyone experience kindness, respect and love, just as God intended.
Prayer
In the midst of chaos, help us to be still and listen to you through the beauty of relationships and the strength of community. As we pause to offer our gifts on this Human Relations Day, empower us to respond to your prophetic call with compassion and love. With grateful hearts, we present this offering, trusting that it will transform into your vision of unity and understanding throughout your beloved community.
Offertory Prayer: Discipleship Ministries
God of all wisdom, how often have we been deaf to your voice speaking to our hearts, especially when we move in a world that needs it so desperately? The reading from 1 Samuel brings us the phrase, “The Lord’s word was rare at that time,” which resonates with the relevance of the evening news. As we bring our gifts to be dedicated this morning, we pray that you might open our ears, open our hearts to hear where you call us to respond with obedience, so that we might do what you need to begin healing our world. In Christ, we pray. Amen. (1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20); John 1:43-51)
Newsletter Nugget
“Speak. Your servant is listening.” –—1 Samuel 3:10, CEB
On Human Relations Day, we stand with other United Methodist churches to build the beloved community envisioned by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This denomination-wide Special Sunday is designed to strengthen human relationships and community outreach. More than half of the funds support The Community Developers Program.
Samuel’s story reminds us of the importance of being attentive to God’s call. Today, as we navigate the world’s complexities, we are invited to listen not only with our ears but also with our hearts. By participating in the Human Relations Day offering, we embrace the power of relationships, the strength of community, and the good news that all of God’s children are of sacred value.
In a world that often feels uncertain, embracing God’s love shifts our perspective. Supporting the Human Relations Day offering channels our resources into servant leadership, community building, and ministries that embody peace with justice.