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Hymns
Hymn GTG #451, “Open My Eyes, That I May See”
Hymn GTG #220, “Go to Dark Gethsemane” [vv. 1, 2, & 4]
Hymn GTG #343, “Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life” [vv. 1-3, 6]
Call to Worship (based on Mark 14:32, 34)
Leader: As we sit with one another,
People: We keep awake!
Leader: As we pray,
People: We keep watch!
Leader: Open your eyes to God’s work in the world!
People: Let us worship the Lord of goodness and mercy!
Call to Confession (based on Mark 14:38)
Leader: We all want to live our lives in a way that honors our Lord and Savior, but while the spirit is eager, the flesh is weak. Recognizing that we cannot attain righteousness on our own, let us turn to God and seek forgiveness for our sin.
Prayer of Confession (based on Mark 14:37–38)
You are invited to speak a word or short phrase that describes a personal or collective sin of which you repent and seek forgiveness.
When the gathered community is finished sharing, we pray together:
People: Merciful Lord, we confess that we have not been paying attention. You implore us to wake up to the pain and injustice in the world, yet we remain asleep. You instruct us to keep watch for harm done in your name, yet we look away. You call us to open our eyes to the suffering right in front of us, yet we can’t stay alert for even one hour. How can we bear witness to what we refuse to see? Forgive us, O Holy One. Give us courage to face the ugly parts of this world and imagination to envision something better. In your mercy, hear our prayers…
(Silent prayers of personal confession)
Declaration of Forgiveness (based on Mark 14:36)
Leader: For God our Father, all things are possible. There is no sin so grievous that God’s mercy cannot overcome it. Rejoice in knowing what I now proclaim to you: in Christ’s name, we are all forgiven!
People: Thanks be to God!
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