Cycle C Lent 4

3/10/2013 Confession

Sunday Title: Hiding Place Sunday

Sermon Title: Who Are You?  “You are my hiding-place”

“Stranded in Grace”

Previously:

Sunday Title: Motivation Sunday

Sermon Title: Coming to Yourself -Will and Identity-

Sunday Title: Story Sunday

Sermon Title: Who are you in this story?

Sunday Title: Invitation Sunday 

Sermon Title: “The Religious and the Redeemed”

Scripture Cuttings:

Joshua 5:9-12 While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho.

consider: Genesis 33:1-4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.

Psalm 32 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

Confession:

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Let us come before the Lord who imputes no guilt, and in whose spirit there is no guile!

    (pause for self-examination)

P:  Merciful God...

C: We hide from the genuine nature of our relationships,

  glossing over disputes and disruptions,

    instead of confronting actual hurts,

      with compassionate listening and understanding.

Our apologies focus on the feelings of others

  caused by our actions and words,

    instead of our actions and words themselves.

Even at our most eloquent we insert a “but” into an apology

  followed by a further explanation of our “right-ness”

We escalate petty differences into moral outrage,

  in a personal quest for self importance,

And while we may serve with great integrity,

  we are resentful of those who do not meet our standards.

Claiming again our self-right-ness as just excuse

  and we create a false hiding place.

Help us come to ouselves.

Forgive us for the sins we name,

  save us from what we hide. (Pause for reflection)

P: God is faithful and reconciles us to himself through Jesus Christ. (For Christ's sake our sins are forgiven). We are a new creation in Christ. In God’s righteousness we have our true hiding place. Now we are commissioned to be ambassadors for Christ to the glory of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

during Lent the Absolution may be withheld

-or-

Psalm 32     The Joy of Forgiveness

P:  Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,

C:    whose sin is put away.

P:  Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,

C:    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

                          (pause for self-examination)

P:  Let us confess:

C: While I kept silence, my body wasted away

     because of my groaning all day long.

  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;

     my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

P:  Then I acknowledged my sin to you,

C:    and I did not hide my iniquity;

  I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”

      and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

P:  Therefore let all who are faithful

C:    offer prayer to you; at a time of distress,

        the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.

  You are a hiding place for me;

     you preserve me from trouble;

  you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

P:  Our Lord answers:

C: I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;

     I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

  Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,

     whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,

  else it will not stay near you.

P:  We respond:

C: Many are the torments of the wicked,

     but mercy surrounds those who trust in the Lord.

  Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous,

     and shout for joy, all of you true in heart.

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

during Lent the Absolution may be withheld