SERVICE of the WORD
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. CONFESSION & FORGIVENESS
Stand The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism. b In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen
b God of faithfulness, we come, young and old, from different places and diverse backgrounds to offer this time of worship to you. Help us to so focus our thoughts on you that we experience afresh your grace, mercy and love as new gifts in our lives. We praise you for blessing us in this way and for revealing your love in Jesus Christ. With his endless love flowing through us and the Holy Spirit guiding us, may our faithfulness also be great and our love for all you created never cease. In Jesus’ name we pray. C Amen b Let us confess our sins in the presence of God and of one another. Kneel/Stand Silence for reflection and self-examination. b Merciful God, C when we think of your great faithfulness and steadfast love, we confess how far we fall short of both. There are times when we judge others by our standards of faithfulness rather than yours. We confess that there are times when we believe that our works of faith earn us salvation. And there are even times when we consider that our faith grows when we only speak words about faith without making that faith evident in and through our lives. We confess also that our busyness can so distract us that we let opportunities to plant even the smallest seeds of faith slip by. Forgive us and increase our faith, O God, so that we can uproot all obstacles which hinder our faithfulness. b And dear God, forgive our indifference towards the plight of those whose lives are impoverished because of situations beyond their control: Liturgy reprinted from Lutheran Book of Worship. Š1978 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
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