Prayer of Confession, P+5A

Call to Confession

No one finds security by wickedness,
    but the root of the righteous will never be moved. (Proverbs 12:3)
Let us confess our wickedness before God, and seek God's righteousness:

Prayer of Confession

Forgive us, O God, for we are indeed wicked.
We have heard the truth
and refused to acknowledge it.
We have promised to follow your example
and then committed ourselves to idols instead.
We pretend to be disciples, 
but we have not learned the lessons of
love
and inclusiveness
and warm hospitality
and grace
that you have taught us.
No. 
We wage war on love.
We exclude the other.
We have made bullying acceptable.
We have turned our wrath loose on the world
as if we had never even heard the word grace.
And we do it all claiming you have ordained it.
Forgive us, we pray, 
and do not let the enemy prevail over us.
Transform our hearts,
and make us into the people 
you have called us to be.
Restore to us the JOY of your salvation, 
and teach us again how to love as you love.

Assurance of God's Grace

"For God so loved the world that God gave God's only Son that whosoever believeth in him would not perish, but would have everlasting life. God did not send God's Son to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17) Hear the Good News: In Jesus Christ, you 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.