Holy God,
Again, we come today mindful of the ways in which we your Church and we as a nation have sinned against you. We confess that we have exploited First Peoples and African slaves and other people groups. We have not stewarded your Creation as you call us to do. We have sought out money, power, influence, and economic gain on the world stage without considering the humanity and needs of other peoples. We have allowed abortion, pedophilia, sex trafficking, and the hiding of these sins against innocents to go unchecked. We have allowed people of power to corrupt systems of government, education, media, arts & entertainment, business, families, and even your Church as we’ve stayed apathetic in our hopelessness. Your Church has appropriated the corruptive influences of the wider culture so that we no longer have influence over that culture. Do not rebuke us in your anger or discipline us in your wrath. Our guilt is a burden that is heavy to bear, yet we wait for you to hear our confession and forgive us. We wait to hear you say, “Your sins are forgiven,” and to rejoice that our sin is no longer upon us. There are many who seek to destroy your Church and this nation in order to have power in this world. Those who repay our good with evil are many; do not forsake us or be far from us. Rescue your Church and this nation from forces of apathy, hopelessness, fear, socialism, anarchy, destruction, hate, corruption, division, and marxism. Purify our hearts – purify your Church and her people – to be able to stand boldly against the forces that want to destroy. Instead, come quickly to help us, our Lord and Savior. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
Psalm 38
A psalm of David. A petition.
1
Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2
Your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3
Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
4
My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.
5
My wounds fester and are loathsome
because of my sinful folly.
6
I am bowed down and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.
7
My back is filled with searing pain;
there is no health in my body.
8
I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart.
9
All my longings lie open before you, Lord;
my sighing is not hidden from you.
10
My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.
11
My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;
my neighbors stay far away.
12
Those who want to kill me set their traps,
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
all day long they scheme and lie.
13
I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,
like the mute, who cannot speak;
14
I have become like one who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
15
Lord, I wait for you;
you will answer, Lord my God.
16
For I said, “Do not let them gloat
or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”
17
For I am about to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
18
I confess my iniquity;
I am troubled by my sin.
19
Many have become my enemies without cause;
those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20
Those who repay my good with evil
lodge accusations against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.
21
Lord, do not forsake me;
do not be far from me, my God.
22
Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and my Savior.