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confession: at the edge

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Lord, you are before and behind us, around us and within. We give you thanks for your constant presence, even as we admit that we don’t always see or hear you with us. So often we find ourselves standing at the edge…of uncertainty, of fear, of society, of faith, of life. We pray for your path to be clear, to show us your way, but we confess that sometimes we see it and we are afraid and turn our eyes back instead. We long for comfort, stability, familiarity. We admit to you that we prefer the easier way of what we have always done, even if it is not where you currently call. Forgive us, O God. Forgive us for our selective memory, our tendency to nostalgia, our hearts set on self-preservation. Turn our eyes forward, to where you are leading. Remind us that you are our God, and will never leave us. Give us faith to see your way, and courage to walk it. Focus our minds, hearts, and strength on your love, that we may know you fully…for to know you is to love you, and to love you is to serve you, whom to serve is perfect freedom.
It is with faith and hope that we ask these things in the name of your Son, Jesus the Christ, whose love casts out all fear and leads us into new life with you. Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson, St. John’s Church of Scotland, Gourock.

Confession: come with us

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Lord of the Way, you said that where you are, your servants will be. We confess that we would prefer you to come with us, rather than for us to go with you. Too often you are found in places we would rather avoid, with people we are afraid of, doing things we wish you wouldn’t. Forgive our inward vision, and call us to your side once again. Give us courage to follow where you lead, to bring others along on the journey, and to live as people filled with your grace, your hope, your truth, your life. We pray in the name of the One who was obedient even to the cross, and beyond to the empty tomb, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson

Confession: cheer at the expense of joy

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Word of God, Breath of Life, come and live among us again. Clear away the things that clutter our hearts and lives, making it difficult to see and do your will. And where we have chosen to believe your way is obscure, preferring our way to yours, make your truth shine out. When we have chosen to focus on cheer at the expense of joy, forgive us and cause righteousness and praise to spring up in your world once again. We pray in the name of the coming Christ. Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson

Confession – Turning Our Backs

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Holy and Beloved God, Sovereign of the Universe, we pray for forgiveness. It is so easy to lose your way—even with the light of the sun and the moon to guide us, we often prefer to turn our backs and head out on our own path. Then, when we have adjusted to the darkness, turning back to your light seems to hurt our eyes, and we squeeze them shut to block out our pain and the pain around us. Help us to open our eyes again. To trust that the pain of seeing the world as you see it is reduced when we do your work. Hear the pains and burdens we bear—and take them from our hearts, that we may instead be filled with your heavenly joy and love.

 

Submitted by Rev. Lucus Levy Keppel, Trinity Presbyterian Church in Bixby, OK

 

(for a service remembering Buzz Aldrin taking communion on the moon)

confession: we lose our way

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Loving Christ, you tell your disciples that you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, yet how often we lose our way, confuse the truth, and choose little deaths rather than live in your abundance. We confess our distractions, how tempted we are by roads more traveled. We admit the seduction of certainty, of those who say what we want to hear. We know our ways of life make us sick and threaten our planet, yet we feel powerless to live otherwise.
Still, in your grace, you give us the cross, the signpost on your Way. Your Truth confronts the powers of this world, revealing their self-service and false promises. Your Life grows as we follow you and so discover an abundance we could never imagine on our own, bringing life to communities everywhere. As we travel our Lenten journey, may we know where you are going, and may we follow and find our home. Amen.

Silent Prayer

Assurance of Grace
In the difficulties of the holiest week, no matter how others gave up on him, Jesus continued to love others. We remember that Jesus still shows us the depths of God’s love and calls us to share that love with others. Amen.

Submitted by Rev. Laura Cunningham, Nauraushaun Presbyterian Church, Pearl River, NY