Sunday, September 30, 2018
CALL TO WORSHIP
Psalm 130
MUSIC: INGLEWOOD PARISH
Curated by Clint Siebert
Phil Wickham - This is Amazing Grace
Elevation Worship - Give Me Faith
Brenton Brown - All Who Are Thirsty
Elevation Worship - Do It Again
MUSIC: KENSINGTON PARISH
Curated by Justina Gendy
Jesus Culture - Your Love Never Fails
Jesus Culture - I Exalt Thee
Bethel Music - Heaven Come
John Mark McMillan - King of My Heart
COMMONS WORSHIP MUSIC PLAYLISTS
Spotify
Google Play Music
YouTube
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Written by Bobbi Salkeld
*Kathleen Norris, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith
There was once a boy who wrote a poem.*
The poem is called “The Monster Who Was Sorry.” In it, the boy admits that he hates it when his father yells at him. The boy’s response is to push his sister down, and then to wreck his room, and finally to wreck the whole town.
The poem ends like this: “Then I sit in my messy house and say to myself, ‘I shouldn’t have done all that.’”
Of course, we know the boy is not a monster; he’s human. And our Christian tradition gives us a place for our messy humanity – moments where we are truly sorry for our actions. It’s called confession. But even before we confess our sins to one another, we have to sort them in our own hearts.
So, please join me in this reflective prayer of confession. A moment when you say honestly to yourself, “I shouldn’t have done all that.”
Please pray with me:
Loving God, Jesus our friend, Spirit of life –
You know every action, intention, and misstep
You know betrayal, abandonment, and the cost of our violent defensiveness
We pause to reflect on the spaces in our lives where we have not been our best selves Places in the past; places in the present
We confess what we have done
And what we have failed to do
Maybe our confession today is about fear, mistakes, or selfishness
Maybe our reflection today is about forgiving ourselves, moving forward in liberation, or longing for peace
If we are aware of a place of sin and error within, we take a moment to acknowledge those and to pray the Jesus Prayer. I will repeat it three times.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner
And now as you hear this assurance, may it inspire your bravery, your integrity, and your love:
The Creator’s love for you is loyal
Jesus’ renewal in your life is imminent
The Spirit’s approval of you is without end
AMEN
THE LORD’S PRAYER (A PARAPHRASE)
In the sermon in Kensington Jeremy ended with a paraphrase of the major petitions that Jesus offers in the Lord’s Prayer.
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Our Father in the heavens that surround us, help me to live as if you are the source of all that good is the universe.
May your will be born in me so that I might help close the gap between heaven and earth with my choices today.
Remind me of my daily dependence on you and help me to want for just enough.
Teach me where I need to let go of old hurts and wounds so that I can experience forgiveness fully for myself.
And show me where I need to say no so that I can truly follow the path that leads me back to life and to you.
For thine is the kingdom the power and glory forever and ever, Amen.
