Prayer of Confession, P+15B

Call to Confession

"... remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." (Ephesians 2:12) Let us confess our sin before God, and seek God's mercy.

Prayer of Confession

Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David.
Have mercy on us!
We wrestle with demons or our own making:
unchecked greed,
hostility toward the other,
power that goes to our heads.
If you will, Lord, you can make us clean.
We refuse to hear how you included those
whom the world called unclean
or unequal
or unworthy
in your circle of disciples,
in your circle of fellowship.
We refuse to hear your admonitions
to love God with all our beings
and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
​If you will, Lord, you can make us clean.
We allow our fear to keep us from speaking up
and speaking out
when our siblings in Christ 
are marginalized,
diminished,
and dehumanized.
If you will, Lord, you can make us clean.
Teach us to open wide the circle of love and grace,
to welcome those who see you differently,
to encourage the powerless,
the voiceless, 
and those who cannot --
or will not --
hear.
We will proclaim the healing power of the Lord our God
far and wide,
to all who will hear it.
If you will, Lord, you can make us clean.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!
Have mercy on us!


Assurance of God's Grace

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us." (Ephesians 2:13-14) 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.