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call to confession / declaration of forgiveness

confession–co-creators?

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Invitation to Tell the Truth About Ourselves
One: God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and God’s mercy endures to all generations. When we confess our brokenness, God’s grace offers us a glimpse of healing. Trusting in the gracious mercy of God, let us confess with open and honest hearts our failure to live up to God’s call. Let us pray.

Prayer of Confession (we tell the truth)
All: God our creator, you asked man and woman to tend this garden of your creating, to care for the creatures of your making, to speak and so join you in creating your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. We confess that we have sinned: we have used your creation rather than cherished it, we have lived greedily rather than gratefully, we have spoken words of destruction rather than love. We acknowledge the damage our heavy footprints, our hard hearts, and our rash tongues have done, and we pray for your forgiveness. Take the dust of our lives and re-form us into your image, and then breathe into us the grace to live for you. Amen. ~silence~

Assurance of Forgiveness
One: In the beginning, God breathed life into being, and every morning God’s mercies are new. Know that you, child of God, made in God’s image, are forgiven, loved and free. Believe and live the good news:
All: God’s goodness is planted more deeply than all that is wrong. Thanks be to God!

 

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson, The Presbyterian Church of Palatine, IL

Confession: storm and stillness

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Prayer of Confession:
God of storm and stillness, who hears and helps his children, we build forts of fear, blocking us from walking with others in your path of loving service. Forgive us. Calm us. May faith bring out the love and affection You have for us so that we may share your love with others in the same boat.

Assurance of Pardon:
Open wide your hearts! Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. We are forgiven and redeemed.

 

Submitted by Christy Ramsey

call to confession / declaration of grace: mind-expanding faith

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CALL TO CONFESSION

God doesn’t call us to a blind faith…
but to a faith that is eye-opening and mind-expanding.
But we often find it more beneficial for ourselves
if we pretend we cannot see or understand God’s vision for creation.

So please join me in the prayer of confession…

 

DECLARATION OF GRACE

(NOTE: The words of Jesus in italics, which are the words spoken to Thomas, could be spoken by another person besides the worship leader, perhaps someone sitting within the congregation with a microphone)

This is Good News:

God does not mock us when we fail to trust,
but invites us into a deeper, more intimate relationship.

Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand in my side. Trust me!

God does not shame us when our faith waivers,
but challenges us to be strengthened by God’s promises.

Happy are those who don’t see…and yet trust!

God’s purpose is not to tear us down…but to build us up…
forgiven…refreshed…and renewed!

So let’s sing…and let’s give thanks to God!

confession: everyone except ourselves

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Call to Confession

The kingdom of heaven is a realm of reconciling love. Trusting in the promise of reconciliation, let us acknowledge our sin before God.

 

Prayer of Confession

O God, King of glory and Lord of justice,
we confess that when we proclaim your coming,
we are quick to envision your judgment
for everyone except ourselves.
You know, more than we can admit,
how many times we have failed to serve you.
We have ignored you when you sit begging;
we have turned away when you starve to death;
we have been all too happy to let your suffering go unnoticed.
We have denied your sovereignty and exiled ourselves from the kingdom of heaven.

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

 

Assurance of Grace

Sing with joy to the Lord,
because our righteous Judge
is our loving Redeemer.
I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ,
we are forgiven!

Thanks be to God!
By the power of the Holy Spirit
we will live in joy and mercy.

Submitted by Rev. Nathan Williams, Echo Hill Presbyterian Church, Cedar Rapids, IA

confession: such a time as this

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Emanuel, God with us, we know it is Advent, yet we wonder what time it is. Is it time to clean out our homes and our hearts, or is it time to be filled with cider and sweetness? Is it time to sing out carols with candles, or is it time to call out in anguish and lament?
According to scripture, there is a time for every purpose, and we trust that you create us for such a time as this. Give us wisdom to read the signs of our times, whether signs of hope in our halls or protest in our streets. Give us faith to read in all of them signs of the tiny child, the Human One. Give us ears for any alarm set for his hour of peace on earth, quickly coming, and help us all to be there in time. Amen.

Silent Prayer

Assurance of Grace
Friends, Jesus comes so that God’s time might exist in our time, so that we might know the fullness of heaven here on earth. Let us live with eyes wide open! Thanks be to God!

Submitted by The Reverend Laura Cunningham, Nauraushaun Presbyterian Church, Pearl River NY