Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
You yourself remind us through Your holy people
that all our religious practices,
even the eucharistic sacrifice,
are not worth anything
if we use them to bend You our way.
God, may we come to You
in humility and repentance,
ready to encounter You in love
and to turn toward You.
Accept us as Your sons and daughters,
together with Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Lord for ever.

https://ocarm.org/en/item/79

Prayer of the Day

Good and gracious God,
you promise to pour out your Spirit upon us;
you are the hope of the world.
Give us strength, that we might serve you;
make us humble, that we might live for your glory alone.
In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Feasting on the Word, Worship Companion, Liturgies for Year C, Vol. 2, Kimberly Bracken Long, ed. WJK Press, 2013, 230.

Prayer of Confession

(inspired by Luke 18: 9-14)

Lord God in heaven,
we confess that we try to measure our faithfulness
by comparing ourselves with others.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us as sinners.

Forgive us O God where we fail to see your Spirit’s work in others,
in those who have lived before us.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us as sinners.

Forgive us for choosing comfort and convenience over faithfulness.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us as sinners.

Posted on the Mennonite Church USA Archives site. http://www.mcusa-archives.org/Resources/HeritageSunday/2001MennoniteHeritageSunday.htm, reposted: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/09/prayer-measuring-faithfulness.html.

Benediction

What greater joy can we know that to go home justified because of our humility before God who redeems? Let us leave this place to live as we came in – openly and desiring to praise God and witness to a saving love. Go in humble grace. In Christ’s name. Amen.

Derek Weber, March 2025