Here’s a prayer of confession for Ash Wednesday (February 22, 2012). It was written by Joanna Harader, a Mennonite pastor in Lawrence, Kansas, and posted on her Spacious Faith blog.
Prayer of Confession
for Ash Wednesday
O God of life,
we confess the ways we turn away
from the fullness of life that you offer.
[silence]
God of love,
we confess the hatred we hold in our hearts.
[silence]
God of compassion,
we confess our indifference.
[silence]
God of justice,
we confess that our lives are linked to oppressive systems.
[silence]
God of peace,
we confess the violent movements of our hearts,
the violent realities of our world.
[silence]
Holy God, we confess our sins to you.
[silence]
Hymn of Confession
[silence]
Assurance of Pardon (based on Joel 2:13)
Return to the Lord your God, for God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Turn toward your God in the confidence that, through Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven.
— from Ash Wednesday Worship, 2011 written by Joanna Harader. To see the rest of the service, click here. Joanna blogs at Spacious Faith.
For other worship resources for Ash Wednesday (February 22, 2012), click on Ash Wednesday in the list of “Labels” at the lower right side of the page.
