Prayer of Confession, Pentecost B

Call to Confession

The Psalmist laments to God, "When you hide your face , they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust." (Psalm 104:29) Let us confess our sin before God and seek God's merciful, life-giving spirit to recreate us and renew the earth.

Prayer of Confession, Pentecost B

Our bones are dry, Lord.
Our structures are lifeless,
our frameworks do not inspire movement.
We lie empty
and despairing --
moaning and lamenting our fate.
Our hope is gone.
Yet, we do not try to change
what we are doing.
We cannot begin to fathom
the new thing you might do in our midst.
Prophesy is a thing of the past.
Isn't it?
Surely there are no prophets among us,
no new voices --
at least not ones we are willing to hear.
Is it any wonder
we lie dying
in the dust?
Forgive us, God.
Raise up prophets among us
who will speak words of
encouragement and hope,
who will open our eyes
and transform our thinking.
Breathe new life
into these dry bones,
and lead us forward with praise!

Assurance of God's Grace

The prophet Isaiah shares the promise of God, saying, "Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise. O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a radiant dew, and the earth will give birth to those long dead." (Isaiah 26:19) By the power of the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, we are renewed in God's mercy. 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 day.