Call to confession:
If we say our thoughts are pure, hearts clean, and actions blameless, we are not telling the truth. As people in need of God’s cleansing, life-sustaining grace, let us confess together those things that separate us from God and one another.
Prayer of Confession:
God of all creation, we call ourselves your followers and disciples, but we routinely stray from your teachings. We imagine that we set the pace, racing to the finish, certain that winning means doing it our way. We hurt others by our words and our deeds. We harm the earth you entrust to our care. We find it easy to lie, and hard to be truthful.
Lord, we need you to heal us, to cleanse us of our sin, and to return us to the path you would have us follow.
~time for silent prayer~
Assurance of Grace:
One: God gifts us with steadfast love and abundant grace. We can accept these gifts, confident that the God who loves us is faithful and forgiving.
All: We give thanks and praise to God for the gifts of steadfast love and grace. As God’s forgiven people, we can live into the hope of everlasting life today and every day. Amen.
Submitted by the Rev. Sarah F. Erickson, director of Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur GA.
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