Prayer of Confession, Easter C

Call to Confession

Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. Acts 2:38-39 Let us confess our sin together and receive the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ.

Prayer of Confession, Easter C

Here we are, God,
showing partiality among your children.
Playing favorites.
Excluding the other.
Here we are,
standing at the foot of the cross,
confessing the nails we pounded
because we refuse to look beyond our biases
to love our neighbor
and welcome the stranger.
You commanded us to preach the Good News
and to testify to the wonderful things our God has done,
but our unkind actions defy our words,
and our angry words defy our identity as Children of God.
Forgive us, we pray.
Free us from the hatred and bigotry
that attempts to lock us into stone cold prisons,
that we may claim the freedom of love and grace
won for us and for all humankind
in Jesus Christ
and share it with the world!

Assurance of God's Grace

Jesus himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 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 day.