Prayer of Confession
Almighty and Merciful Father, in Christ we are your dearly loved children.
You know us by name.
You have adopted us in love.
You have taught us to love justice, give mercy, and live humbly for our neighbors.

Father, we have not lived according to Your gracious love.
We are more ready to resent than to forgive,
more ready to manipulate than to serve,
more ready to fear than to love,
more ready to keep distance than to welcome,
more ready to compete than to help.

We do not love fully because we have forgotten the fullness of Your love for us.
Forgive us our cold unbelief.
Open our eyes again to know Your lovingkindness
so that we can imitate you as sons.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, remake us into a family that acts justly, loves mercy and walks humbly - serving the world for which Jesus died.

Assurance of Pardon
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  1 John 3:1