Prayer of Confession: Ephesians 2: 11-22

Here’s a prayer of confession based on Ephesians 2:11-22.  It was written by Moira Laidlaw.

Prayer of Confession
(based on Ephesians 2: 11-22)

Merciful God, we celebrate the way that you chose to bring unity and peace to people—through the gift of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. He broke down longstanding walls of prejudice and hostility between Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free. He abolished rules that restricted life and replaced them with the new commandment to love as he did. Where have we gone astray?  Walls of prejudice still exist and barriers of racism still hold people back from reaching their true potential. We hear the great message of Jesus reconciling people to you, O God, and to one another, and yet we still hesitate to reach out to people when they are different in some way from us.  

Forgive us when we create barriers rather than tear them down.

Jesus has made us members of the household of God and he holds us together through the power of his Spirit.  Maybe it is because we like to do things the way that we’ve always done them that creates barriers and excludes strangers, preventing them from ever having the opportunity to experience the reconciling power of Jesus in their lives.  

Forgive us when we fail to take risks for the gospel’s sake.

We remember with gratitude how people shared their faith with us so that we are no longer strangers and aliens.  So we pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to bind us together in love and peace, building us up as a witnessing, welcoming and forgiving community of grace.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen

Assurance of Forgiveness (Ephesians 2:13, 10)
“In Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”  
“In him we have been reconciled to God through the cross,
made citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”
Hear then, the good news that in Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God!

~ written by Moira Laidlaw, on Liturgies Online.  http://www.liturgiesonline.com.au/ Visit that site for many other excellent lectionary-based worship resources.