Prayer of Confession, P+25B

​Call to Confession
Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes! (Matthew 18:7) Let us confess our sin before God, and seek God’s mercy.
 
Prayer of Confession
Teacher, forgive us!
We are impressed with our open displays of grandiosity,
with the systems we create that manufacture wealth
while the poor can’t feed themselves,
and we are even more impressed
with the ways in which we use that wealth
to pretend to honor you
while we dodge paying our fair share
to care for the most vulnerable
among us.
We buy into the rhetoric of doomsday deceivers
and idolize the self-proclaimed saviors,
warring against ourselves
in the name of loyalty.
Hear our prayers, O God,
and save us from our own arrogance!
Reconcile us, one to another, we pray.
Help us to see beyond our own egos
to the needs of your children everywhere.
Re-ignite in us a passion for ministry
as we have witnessed it
in the living, breathing, walking-around example
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
 
Assurance of God’s Grace
Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1) In the name of Jesus, 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.