Racial Justice Sunday is on 9 February 2025 and this year Churches Together in Britain and Ireland have produced resources on the theme ‘Coat of many colours’.
The Racial Justice Sunday resource includes worship resources such as a prayer walk, liturgy and stations of the cross. It brings together relevant Bible passages, hymns and worship songs, includes a series of reflections and sermons, and a useful reading list for more information.
Richard Reddie, Director of Justice and Inclusion for Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and Coordinator of the Churches’ Refugee Network said in the introduction:
“Both the Old Testament, or the Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament are replete with references to diversity, in this world and the Kingdom to come. One only has to reflect on verses that speak of a ‘house of prayer for all nations’ (Isaiah 56:7), the events of Pentecost (Acts 2) or the ‘multitude … from every nation’ (Revelation 7:9-17), which all include words meaning ‘every tribe and nation’, to see that ethnic diversity is part of God’s divine plan.
“There is little doubt that British churches, especially in the larger cities, are a microcosm of the world in a congregation, which is indeed a blessing that must be celebrated.
“Equally, the fact that the diversity of believers has breathed some much-needed spiritual life into our churches reveals that this is a movement of God for which He must be praised. In [the resource’s] reflections and sermons, members of the RJSWG and others, who hail from many parts of the globe, describe their experiences of being part of the Coat of Many Colours. Yet, despite this amazing reality, inequality still exists in the Church and is still a factor that blights the experiences of too many people of Global Majority heritage or Black and Brown backgrounds. This leaves people not feeling as if they belong in the house of the Lord, or not being given the opportunity to use their God-given talents to further the Lord’s Kingdom.
“Given the unwelcome decline in church attendance over the last several decades, British and Irish churches must wake up to the reality that God is doing a ‘new thing’ (Isaiah 43:19) among those Christians who now call these shores home. Again, [the resource’s] sermons and reflections in this resource address the importance of inclusion and the need for all Christians to engage in the righteous work for racial justice.”
For more information on promoting racial justice visit the racial justice page of the Churches Together in England and Ireland website.
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