Litany: Psalm 51 and Psalm 103

Here’s a responsive litany of confession and assurance, contrasting verses from Psalm 51 with verses from Psalm 103.  The congregation (or a second reader) is invited to read Psalm 51 (in bold print); the worship leader reads Psalm 103 (in regular print).

Litany of Confession

(Psalm 51 & Psalm 103)

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.

Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

            Our God is merciful and gracious,
            slow to get angry, and full of unfailing love.

Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.

For I recognize my shameful deeds—they haunt me day and night.

            God will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.

Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;

I have done what is evil in your sight.

You will be proved right in what you say,

and your judgment against me is just.

            God has not punished us for all our sins,

            nor does he deal with us as we deserve.

            For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

            so great is his love for those who fear him;

            as far as the east is from the west,

            so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

I was born a sinner—from the moment my mother conceived me.

            God is like a father to his children,

            tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

            For he understands how weak we are;

            he remembers that we are only dust.

You desire honesty from the heart;

teach me to be wise in my inmost being.

            For our days on earth are like grass;

            like wildflowers, we bloom and die.

            The wind blows, and we are gone—

            as though we had never been here.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and make me willing to obey you.

            For the love of the Lord remains forever

            with those who fear him.

            His salvation extends to the children’s children

            of those who are faithful to his covenant;

            those who obey his commandments.

The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit.

A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

            Our God is merciful and gracious.

Bless the Lord, O my soul.

~ Christine Longhurst, re:Worship

Lenten Prayer: A prayer for new life

Here’s a prayer for Lent from Pamela C. Hawkins.  It comes from the Prayers and Creeds website.

Prayer for Lent

O God, who makes all things new,
new stars, new dust, new life;
take my heart,
every hardened edge and measured beat,
and create something new in me.

I need your newness, God,
the rough parts of me made smooth;
the stagnant, stirred;
the stuck, freed;
the unkind, forgiven.

And then, by the power of your Spirit,

I need to be turned toward Love again. Amen.

~ by Pamela C. Hawkins, in The Awkward Season: Prayers for Lent (Nashville, TN: Upper Room Books, 2009), 30. Posted on Prayer and Creeds, https://prayersandcreeds.wordpress.com/

Prayer: Bringing our Treasures

Here’s a prayer inspired by Mark 10:17-27. It was written by Rev. Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl, and posted on bjhlog (see link below).

Prayer

(inspired by Jesus’ words in Mark 10:17-27

and Matthew 6:19-21; 13:44-46)

O God,

Jesus taught that where our treasure is,

there will our hearts be also.

In this hour, we come bringing our treasures—

all that we have and all that we are.

We come seeking your treasure—

treasure that does not fade, decay, or disappoint.

Share with us the treasure of heaven,

that we may boldly share it with others. Amen.

~ written by Rev. Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl, PC(USA) pastor and liturgical scholar. Posted on bjhlog.

https://bjhlog.wordpress.com/2020/02/19/nl-mark-1017-31-the-rich-young-man-march-1-2020/

Prayers of the People for the Start of Lent

Here’s a pastoral prayer for the start of the Lent season. It was written by Patrick Ryan, Pastor at Kuhn Memorial Presbyterian Church in Barboursville, West Virginia.

 

Prayer for Faithfulness

at the Beginning of Lent

 

Loving Lord,

at the beginning of this Lenten season,

we are met with the challenge of handing over

every bit of our lives that do not come from You.

To rid ourselves of what clutters our lives,

and all that distracts us from the simple truth

of Your love for us.

 

Your prophets have called us to change the way we worship—

to make internal sacrifices instead of external ones.

To seek justice, and love kindness,

and walk humbly with You

each and every one of our days.

 

If we don’t give anything up for Lent,

then let us at least give up this:

that we might live cease living in ways that disconnect us from You,

for every one of our steps is like a circle around Your temple.

Perhaps this Lent,

we can give up our way

and give ourselves to Your way for us.

 

So, lead and guide us on this Lenten way.

May we walk with Jesus toward the hill just outside of Jerusalem.

May we like Him take up our cross and follow,

spending each moment of our lives living responsively to You,

just as Christ Himself did.

For that is the faithful way. Amen.

 

~ written by Patrick Ryan, Pastor at Kuhn Memorial Presbyterian Church in Barboursville, West Virginia.

 

Prayer of Confession: Walking with God

Here’s a prayer of confession from Rev. Mindi’s Rev-o-lution website.

Prayer of Confession

Almighty God,

You have set before us the path

but we have wandered on our own

to try to find our way.

Sometimes we are like toddlers

and we hear Your call and come back.

Other times, we are children testing boundaries,

ignoring Your call until fear finally makes us look back.

And still other times we are full of youthful rebellion,

demanding to be cut loose and set free,

not knowing how much we still need

to seek Your wisdom and guidance.

But most of all, too often we think we are adults

and have figured it all our and know our own way,

only to stumble and stray so far. 

Remind us, parental God,

that we are always Your children,

that we are never fully grown up in Your sight,

that we always have much to learn.

Help us to seek You every day,

to acknowledge that we need Your wisdom and guidance,

and help us to return to the path and walk with You.

In the name of Christ,

who is our companion on this journey of faith, we pray. Amen.

~ written by Rev Mindi, and posted on Rev-o-lution. http://rev-o-lution.org/