We light this chalice to honor our past

May we light this chalice to honor our past:
for Jan Hus, burned at the stake
for suggesting that the cup be shared by all;
for our Service Committee's earliest days,
when its logo enabled the persecuted to find a safe haven.

May we light this chalice to endorse our present:
for our commitment to truth and freedom,
without which right relationships are impossible;
for our commitment to character and honor,
without which our dignity is a sham.

Let us light this chalice to symbolize our future:
for a brighter future for every person on earth;
for a sustaining faith that carries us through even the darkest of times.