*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*
Leader: We gather with Jesus on the mountaintop.
People: We keep company with such ones as Moses, Elijah, and the Christ.
Leader: We long to bask in the light of the Son forever, but we know we must eventually descend from these great heights.
People: Let us, then, spend our time worshiping the Holy One.
Leader: The Lord be with you!
People: And also with you!
Leader: Let us worship the Lord.
Call to Confession
Leader: Jesus makes no effort to hide the true cost of discipleship: we must follow him to the cross itself. We must be willing to lose our very lives. If we claim to be followers of Christ, then we must admit the ways that we have failed in this measure of discipleship, confident in God’s promises of mercy and resurrection. Let us, therefore, confess our sins together.
Unison Prayer of Confession
People: Transfigured One, we are content to dwell on the mountaintop with you forever, far from the concerns and distractions of everyday life. But when you call us to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and to give up our lives for your sake, we protest with Peter’s words: “God forbid it, Lord!” We follow you gladly when the road is easy, but we abandon you when it becomes difficult. We refuse to make the sacrifices required for the sake of your children, your creation, and your kindom. Instead, we hide within the shrines we’ve built to the status quo. Forgive us, O God. Remind us that traveling the hard path of a disciple is worth it, not only for our own good, but for the good of all whom you claim as your own. In your mercy, hear our prayer.
(Silent prayers of personal forgiveness)
Declaration of Forgiveness
Leader: Get up, friends, and do not be afraid! These are the words that Jesus speaks to Peter, James, and John on the mountaintop, and they are the words I speak to you now, having laid your sin bare before God. Hear the Good News: In Jesus Christ, we are all forgiven. Thanks be to God!
No comments:
Post a Comment