Prayers of the People and the Confession of Sin
Bidder Creator
God, you made each of us in love and for love. In baptism we were anointed as
prophets and you call us to live holy lives and to participate in the mission
of justice.
People Grant
us the grace, O loving God, to be attentive to your call, to be sensitive to
injustice whenever we encounter it, and in all things to act justly, love
tenderly, and walk humbly with you, our God.
Bidder We
are weak, limited, fallen, O God. We fail to acknowledge the inherent worth of
each person as a child of God. We focus on what divides us and makes us different
rather than on the great truth that unites us – that we are one body in Christ.
People We
come before you, O God, parent of us all, asking your grace to appreciate the
beauty of our diversity and to celebrate the gift of God incarnate in every one
we meet.
Bidder God
of peace, you made us to live in harmony and community, not in chaos and
violence. So much of our world is torn by strife, there are so many divisions
among us that result in a lack of freedom.
People We
ask the grace and strength to be instruments of peace in our hearts, our homes,
communities, nations, and the world.
Bidder O
God, the cross we bear precedes the crown we wear. To follow you we must take
up our cross, with all of its difficulties and agonizing and tension packed
content and carry it until that very cross leaves its marks upon us and redeems
us to that more excellent way which comes only through suffering.[i]
People God
of the oppressed and suffering, we pray for all those who suffer in any way.
Grant us the strength to bear whatever crosses are in our lives and the grace
to know our losses, grief, and pain as part of the mystery of your love for us.
Bidder The
lives of your saints stand as a reminder of what it means to belong to God, to
be persecuted for justice’s sake, to live and to die for God and for God’s
people.
People We
give thanks, O compassionate God, for the lives of the holy and prophetic
leaders of our time and ask you that we can become in our various ministries of
serving others the living presence of your son and our brother Jesus. We bring
these and all our own needs and the needs of our families and communities to
your loving care.[ii]
Bidder We
acknowledge that it is your mercy that lifts us up beyond ourselves.
People God
of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in
our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the
world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we
have done, and the evil done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us
through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only
your will. Amen[iii]
Presider God
forgives you, restores you, and strengthens you. Abide in the love of Jesus
Christ and serve the will of the Holy Spirit.
[i] This section
of the prayer is adapted from the words of Martin Luther King Jr.
[ii] Adapted
from a Movement Toward Reconciliation a liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church
(Evans, Abigail. Healing Liturgies for the Seasons of Life. WJK Press. London, 2004. page 398)
[iii] From
Enriching our Worship 1 (Webber 480)
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