by Rev. Gary Commins
O God, the Origin of love and Giver of new life, have mercy on us and on our world, that we, consumed by hypocrisy, prejudice, and greed, may be transformed by your Word, and the world, thrashing blindly in despair, may be restored by your Spirit; all this we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ your Peace. Amen.
For the world that, being freed from addictions to waste, war, pollution, and self-desecration, it may heed your words of warning and walk in your ways,
Create in us a broken heart
And renew in us a peaceful spirit
For our nation that, being freed from the idolatrous consumption of goods, the unholy pursuit of profits, and the exploitation of the weak, it may heed your words of justice and walk in your ways,
Create in us an anguished heart
And renew in us a peaceful spirit
For our community that, being freed from ignorance, arrogance, prejudice, and contempt, it may heed your words of wisdom and walk in your ways
Create in us a humble heart
And renew in us a peaceful spirit
For the Church that, being freed from infidelity and hypocrisy, it may heed your words of truth and walk in your ways
Create in us a faithful heart
And renew in us a peaceful spirit
For us that, being freed from self-destructive self-indulgence, we may heed your words of liberation and walk in your ways,
Create in us an awakened heart
And renew in us a peaceful spirit
For the blessings we have received that, being freed from ungrateful hearts and narrow minds, we may heed your words of grace and walk in your ways,
Create in us a pure heart
And renew in us a peaceful spirit
For those in trouble, grief, need, or crisis that, being freed from helplessness and hopelessness, they may heed your words of power and walk in your ways
Create in us an open heart
And renew in us a peaceful spirit
For those who have died, that they may hear your words of welcome and rest in peace
Dear God, we turn to you as slaves who enslave others with our sins, and we place ourselves in your care as clay in the hands of a potter; re-make, remold, and restore us in your image and likeness, that we may renew our community, our nation, your Church, and your world, that they may abandon the ways of injustice and embrace the ways of true peace. Amen.
Lenten Prayer of Confession
by Michael McConnell, Director, Great Lakes AFSC
Prayer of Confession: After each petition, all will respond AMEN!
We confess for the complicity of this nation in the atrocity of the Iraq War. AMEN
We confess for the complicity of our leaders in lying to the American people in order to justify the war. AMEN
We confess that torture is now more widespread in Iraq than before the U.S. invasion. AMEN
We mourn for the Iraqi infants dying of dysentery for lack of clean water and for the infants dying in America for lack of affordable health care. AMEN
We confess for this nation’s sin of invasion that killed thousands and for the sin of occupation that has killed hundreds of thousands. AMEN
We mourn for the nearly 2 million internally displaced Iraqis without homes and the 2 million refugees outside of Iraq without rights. AMEN
We confess that misspent dollars for war have robbed our own children of quality education, robbed our workers of affordable housing, robbed our neighbors of health care and shrouded this nation in shame. AMEN
We mourn for Iraqis without electricity and for Chicagoans without heat; we mourn for Iraqi wounded without adequate doctors and medicine and for Chicago’s sick without Cook County. AMEN
We confess that this nation is addicted to war that is destroying the people of Iraq and is destroying the soul of America. AMEN
We confess to the hypocrisy of senators and legislators who speak out against war but fund its execution. AMEN
ALL: WE CONFESS ALL OF THESE SINS IN THE NAME OF A JUST AND MERCIFUL GOD. MAY THIS LENTEN SEASON BE THE BEGINNING OF A PATH TO TRUE PEACE…
