Here’s a thoughtful prayer of confession and words of assurance based on the lectionary texts for the second Sunday after Epiphany (January 15, 2012). They come from the United Church of Christ website (see below for link).
Prayer of Confession
(inspired by 1 Samuel 3:1-20, John 1:43-51)
Holy One, you have called us by name.
You will not let us lounge in bed.
You wake us up in the middle of the night to remember…
(Invite the congregation to remember God's works.)
You will not let us hide under the tree.
You summon us from the shade to be changed…
(Invite the congregation to pray for those things that need to be changed.)
You will not let us bury our secrets within the earth.
You unearth our fears and speak them aloud…
(Invite the congregation to name their fears.)
Forgive us, O God, when we cannot speak.
Reveal the words we need most.
In Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
You will not let us lounge in bed.
You wake us up in the middle of the night to remember…
(Invite the congregation to remember God's works.)
You will not let us hide under the tree.
You summon us from the shade to be changed…
(Invite the congregation to pray for those things that need to be changed.)
You will not let us bury our secrets within the earth.
You unearth our fears and speak them aloud…
(Invite the congregation to name their fears.)
Forgive us, O God, when we cannot speak.
Reveal the words we need most.
In Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Words of Assurance
(inspired by Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18)
Our God knows you by name.
Our God knows what you fear.
For you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
In your name, God’s works are revealed again to us. Amen.
— written by Rev. Elsa A. Peters, Pastor and Teacher of the First Congregational UCC in South Portland, ME, and posted on the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways website. She blogs about ministry and liturgy at: http://impossiblethingswithgod.blogspot.com/.
