Prayer of Confession, L3B

Call to Confession

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. (Malachi 3:1-3) Let us present our sin offerings before the Lord our God, and be purified anew:

Prayer of Confession

Sovereign God,
Jesus traveled with the faithful to the Passover Feast,
a feast of remembrance to recall your mighty acts 
in rescuing your people from slavery in Egypt.
In doing so, he set an example for those who would follow him
to be faithful in worship,
to remember,
and to celebrate.
We are not faithful, O God,
in worship, in remembering, in celebrating, or in setting an example.
We have failed to keep the remembrance feast,
or to live as a rescued people called to rescue our neighbors
from the same tortures we endured in Egypt.
Instead, we are the money-changers and the sellers, 
looking for ways to take advantage of those who long for liberation
and for healing
by exploiting our siblings in Christ
and distorting your Word as justification.
We flaunt our righteous selves with our indignation and our piety,
trotting it out on display for all the world to see,
instead of turning the tables as you taught us to do in your son, Jesus.
Forgive us, we pray.
Inspire in us a zealousness to love with devotion,
to remember with compassion, 
and to celebrate with thanksgiving
faithfully,
according to the law of love you taught us when you lived in our midst.


Assurance of God's Grace

I will give, in my house and within my walls,
    a monument and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
    that shall not be cut off. (Isaiah 56:5)
In the everlasting name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift!

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.