Call to Confession
Friends, the invitation list to the Lord’s Table
is larger than any of us could ever imagine.
Let us confess the ways in which we have sought to limit that invitation.
Confession
God of Hospitality and Wonder,
you welcome us to a table that invites those who are different than us.
This invitation has made us uncomfortable, unsettled, and defensive.
Our discomfort comes from an unwillingness to see other peoples’ perspectives.
Our unsettledness comes from a dependence on the status quo.
Our defensiveness comes from a belief that our image of you is the only one that matters.
Help us to surrender ourselves to the abundance of your invitation.
Inspire us to embrace the fact that diversity is strength, not weakness.
Gather us to welcome the stranger, care for the oppressed, and feed the hungry.
Forgive us for our short-sightedness and open us to your Gospel
that we might better embody the Beloved Community you call us to be.
In the Wild and Wonderful name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Friends, we are ALL invited to this table.
I am here to announce to you
that whatever you think disqualifies you from God’s love
has been washed away by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
I announce to you that our sins have been forgiven.
Alleluia! Amen.
Submitted by Rev. Stephen M. Fearing, Beaumont Presbyterian Church, Lexington, KY
Leave a Reply