Here’s a prayer of confession and words of assurance based on the suggested scripture readings for Proper 7 B.
Prayer of Confession
(inspired by Psalm 9:9-20, Mark 4:35-41)
Merciful God, we share the conviction of the Psalmist that you are our stronghold in times of trouble and we rejoice over the evidence of such care for us and for all people which we experience in Jesus. Yet, we confess how easily we identify with the fear of the disciples when they were caught in the storm; like them, our faith falters and our anxiety levels soar when life becomes too turbulent for us. We fail to remember that Jesus demonstrated that your power, O God, can bring peace even into the stormiest situations. And so, time and again, the stresses of living and working and learning threaten to swamp us. Our lives sometimes feel as though they are spinning out of control with worries over health, relationships, finances, the state of the world.... We forget that Jesus is in our midst calming our fears and strengthening us especially when we feel most vulnerable and fearful and weak.
(a time of silence )
Gracious God, forgive us all our fears and weaknesses, we pray. Renew and strengthen our faith in the living Christ so that we can live empowered by his presence. This we pray in Jesus’ name.
Assurance of Forgiveness
(Romans 10:9; 2 Corinthians 6:2)
As the Apostle Paul wrote: “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved” (Romans 10: 9). The good news therefore is this: “now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Thanks be to God!
