Prayer of Confession, Epiphany 2B

Call to Confession

Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! If we present ourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, we are slaves of the one whom we obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness. Let us then confess our sin before God and earnestly seek God's grace.

Prayer of Confession

Withhold visions of you, if you wish,
withhold holy encounters,
Holiest of Holies,
but do not withhold your grace.

Your grace breathes life
into our living,
hope
into each new day.
Unmerited favor
is the one and only reason
we can stand.

We fail to see because
we fail to look
at what is before us,
under our noses.
We do not want to see
what we have created,
what we have borne,
what we have allowed,
so we turn a blind eye
and many
fall victim to our choosing.

We fail to recognize your voice
because we fail to practice
listening.
We are too busy,
too distracted,
too consumed
with other voices
including our own,
so when you speak,
we do not know
it is you.

Speak to us now
of life-giving
grace,
so that when we lie down
and when we rise,
when we come
and when we go,
we will know we are alive
because of you.

Assurance of God's Grace

In God's rich mercy, and out of God's great love for us, has made us alive together with Christ, even though we were dead through our sins. By grace we have been saved. 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.