Here’s a prayer of confession
inspired by 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 and Matthew 25: 14-30, two of the suggested
scripture readings for Proper 28, Year A.
It was written by Bill Wessner,
and posted on Confessional RCL blog.
Prayer of Confession
(inspired
by 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 and Matthew 25: 14-30)
Lord, Lord,
we know who you are,
we know you bring in the
kingdom of heaven.
But when you assign us the job
of lighting the way,
we barely announce your divine
rule to ourselves.
Our worship hour has solemn
times and festivals.
And we celebrate your
redemptive action in history
with our calendar - Sundays,
seasons, year after year.
Yet we become drowsy:
unprepared,
because we are not disciples
each day, at all hours.
Those times we live for
ourselves.
We do not need you right now.
So we do not want justice,
unless we judge for ourselves,
and self-righteousness is
easier than right relationship.
Forgive us Lord the sins we can
bear to name,
Save us Lord from the sins we
will not speak.
(pause for reflection and
self-examination)
God redeems.
Our hope lives in the one we
call Jesus the Christ.
Time and again we go to this
hope, ready or not.
For Christ's sake our sins are
forgiven.
May the flood of God's love in
Christ Jesus
be poured out in our lives and
cease not at this worship's end.
To the glory of the Father, and
the Son, + and the Holy Spirit. Amen
~
written by Bill Wessner, on his Confessional RCL blog. http://confessionrcl.blogspot.com/2011/11/cycle-lectionary-32-proper-27.html
