Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Prayer of thanksgiving and confession (on a day when we had an infant baptism)


Being a Presbyterian Minister infant baptism is an occupational hazard... Not! It's actually a privilege to acknowledge the covenant faithfulness of God, new life and the faith of believing parents. The following is a prayer of thanksgiving and confession from a day in 2006 when we had an infant baptism.
Loving God it seems appropriate this morning as we celebrate a baptism to thank you for life.
For the wonder of a new child and for our lives as well
That you created us to know you
That you have known us before we were born
That you wove us together in our mother’s wombs
That you blessed us with the ability to know and live for you
We praise you this morning for the parents who gave us life
That nurtured and cared for us all

We praise you for your faithfulness
That from generation to generation you keep your promise to love us
That you are working in the midst of what seems to us as the chaotic swirl of history
That you are bringing all thing together under the head ship of Christ Jesus


We praise you God for new life
That you sent your son Jesus into this world
That all who believed in him would not perish but have everlasting life
That as we come to you repent and believe that we are born again into anew relationship with you
A new life that goes beyond the grave and into eternity

We praise you this morning for the abundant life you give us
That you fill us with your Holy Spirit and that you dwell within us
That you are with us in the midst of our highs and lows ups and downs
And that the wonder of your divine presence breaks into the everydayness of our lives
That you call us to put Jesus and his kingdom first
That even when we are weak you are strong
That you fill us with your joy and peace beyond the worlds wildest dreams
We come before you this morning and confess our sins

You invite us to pray without ceasing to commune with you
Yet we put it down the bottom of our to do list or treat it like a get out of jail card or a cosmic shopping list
Forgive us Lord
You call us to love one another as you have loved us and well lord we like to be loved but we are not that good at loving
Forgive us lord
You call us to care for the poor and feed the hungry and we demand and consume more than our share
Forgive us Lord
We do the things we know displease you and leave undone the things that are close to your heart
Forgive us lord

Thank you for the amazing truth that as we confess our sins you are faith and just and forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Fill us afresh with your Spirit that we may have our eyes and ears open to your truth
That our hands and feet may be directed to those you are calling us to love
That our hearts would be filled with boldness and our mouths filled with your good news
That sour souls and our lives would again be turned towards you

To the glory of God father son and Holy Spirit Amen

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