Here’s a prayer of approach and confession written by Rev. Maryann Rennie, minister at St. Anne’s Parish Church in Edinburgh.
Prayer of Approach and Confession
Holy Lord,
whose presence inspires and consoles,
You continue Your promise
from generation to generation.
With the dawning light of day
You awaken creation
to the wonders
that await.
As the sun sets
You pause on the mountain-top
to offer a vision of what lies ahead.
Living presence of God,
whose living amongst creation
continue to inspire
that we might live in the promise of God
and mark our lives
with a love
that reaches beyond emotion:
for Your love
asks for activity,
in worship and service.
Embracing Spirit of God,
whose embrace offers both impetus and consolation,
You provoke within us
the recognition of our need of forgiveness.
With your overwhelming grace
we recognise the many ways in which we fail
to demonstrate your love from within.
Forgive us
when we are demanding of attention,
and want to know the answers now;
when we are reluctant to stand alongside those
in need of our support;
when we have not been willing
to allow others to speak on our behalf.
Silence
Loving Lord,
in your forgiveness
You answer our questions of how
and who to love,
drawing the breadth of your community wider.
So as we find our place within Your community
we unite our prayers
in the words that Jesus taught…
Our Father…
— Rev. MaryAnn R. Rennie, posted on the Starters for Sunday on the Church of Scotland website.
For more worship resources related to the texts for October 23, 2011 (the nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost), click on Proper 25A in the list of “Labels” at the lower right side of the page.
