CALL TO WORSHIP
Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight—
Whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
Unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord, so rejoice in the Lord and be glad!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!
—based on Ps. 32:1-2, 10-11
OPENING PRAYER
Gracious God, you sent your Son to be the light of the world, so that we could see goodness and beauty in the world. May Christ shine upon us during this hour of worship, so that we may learn what pleases you, and live out your truth and love in lives transformed by your grace. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION: Psalm 32 (NLT)
Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!
Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
[A silence is kept for individual confession.]
Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.
The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”
Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!
1 John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sins to God, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. Therefore, in the Name of Jesus Christ, please know that you are forgiven.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Eternal One, we enter into prayer this morning in the midst of a world in which faith comes hard, where people find it difficult to raise their eyes above material things.
We pray for those who find it hard to believe because they have too many possessions, and for those who find it hard because they have too little.
We pray for those who have more to eat than they need, and for those who lack even their daily bread.
We pray for parents who, because of their own poverty and a lack of concern from those who have more than they need must watch their children suffer.
We pray for those who are in pain, and for those who are dying.
We pray for those who face each day with dread because they are abused or oppressed.
We pray for the lonely and those whose lives are robbed of loveliness or hope.
God, we pray, because our love for you is a love for the One whose arms outstretched on the cross embraced all human suffering; and it is in his Name that we pray. Amen.
—based on Chalice Worship
BENEDICTION
Today is a new beginning. So go forth and view the world through new eyes. May the love of + God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the unity of the Holy Spirit take charge of you from henceforth and for all time to come. Amen.
