Prayer of Confession, A4C

Call to Confession

O Jerusalem, wash your heart clean of wickedness
    so that you may be saved.
How long shall your evil schemes
    lodge within you?  (Jeremiah 4:14)
Let us confess our sins before God that God might "create in (us) a new heart and renew a right spirit within (us)" (Psalm 51:10): 

Prayer of Confession

O Shepherd of Israel, forgive us!
We have closed our ears to you.
We have strayed away like sheep 
without a shepherd
while you have called to us to follow.
You came to save us, 
but we refused to be rescued,
turning to our own ways 
instead of walking the path
you set for us.
Our neighbors scorn us,
and rightly so, 
for we say we believe in you,
but we act as if we are children 
of Satan.
Our enemies laugh among themselves,
and who can blame them,
for we continually choose 
the same anger and hatred 
and greed and abuse of power 
and authoritarianism they promote.
Have mercy on us, we pray!
Humble our hearts 
as we approach the manger.
Open our hearts to your amazing grace.
Transform us by the miracle 
of you coming to live among us,
and eradicate our hatred
with the power of love.

Assurance of God's Grace

Yet (God), being compassionate,
    forgave their iniquity
    and did not destroy them;
often (God) restrained (God's) anger
    and did not stir up all (God's) wrath.  (Psalm 78:38) 
Hear the Good News: in the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! Thanks be to God!

Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us also forgive one another.
The peace of Christ be with you.
Please extend the peace of Christ to all whom you encounter this week.