Prayer of Confession, P+9C

Call to Confession

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. (Luke 11:42) Let us confess the places where we have neglected to practice justice and the love of God and seek God's mercy:

Prayer of Confession

Forgive us, God,
for our deeds are evil.
We have failed to learn your lessons
on love. 
Love puts the needs of others
ahead of our selfish desires.
Love shares power
instead of hoarding it.
Love rescues the oppressed,
defends the orphan, 
and pleads for the widow.
But we are the oppressors,
the prosecutors.
We have set ourselves up as the judge.
Forgive our abominable and faithless acts
of "worship,"
and wash the blood of our neighbor
from our hands, we pray!
Do not hide your eyes from us,
lest we be devoured by the sword we insist
we have the right to carry.
Inspire in us an obedience to God
rather than idols,
and open our eyes to the Truth revealed in
Love.​

Assurance of God's Grace

 law came in, so that the trespass might increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so grace might also reign through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:20) Hear the Good News: In the name of 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 Chrsit to all whom you encounter this week.