Labor Day!

Prayer of Confession for Labor Day Sunday:
by: Ryan M. Rubin, Yale Divinity School, M.Div. candidate

Merciful God, remembering the promise that if we confess our sins, you are faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and leaning on your infinite grace given to us through Christ Jesus, we confess our sins to you.

We have not loved you with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, or all our strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

For the times we deny our sinfulness and expend our strength in justifying ourselves — we seek your mercy.

For the times we seek unjust gain by doing in private what we would not do in public — we seek your mercy.

For the times we work for personal advancement without regard for the well-being of our communities and the world — we seek your mercy.

For the times we place such importance on work and material gain that we trample on others who stand in our way — we seek your mercy.

For the times we prefer ignorance over knowledge which compels us to help our sisters and brothers who are harmed by our work or our consumption — we seek your mercy.

For the times when we harden our hearts against those who are exploited, rather than at their exploitation — we seek your mercy.

For the times we know that it is wrong to do these things, and seek to do them anyway — we seek your mercy.

For the times we allow -- through our action or inaction -- economic systems that distribute vast wealth to some at great cost to others — we seek your mercy.

For the times,when in despair or apathy, we have given up on you and the “new creation” you have promised to our world and to our workplaces in Christ Jesus – we seek your mercy.

All of God’s people, hear the good news: in Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven. Loving God, we thank you that you hear our confessions. We pray that you would strengthen and encourage us for these struggles when they arise again. And we pray that the Holy Spirit would lead us into true repentance and newness of life. Amen.

Welcome to our newest member of the PCUSA Blog Ring, Just 3 Things. As the name implies this blog is about just 3 things, Faith, Life and Birds. I hope to post three times weekly, once about each topic. Your comments are welcomed! This blog like my life is a work in progress.

Just 3 Things (did you catch the Trinity reference?) is written by Rev. Vernon Gauthier of First United Presbyterian Church of Newville, Pennsylvania.

Conversion

I work for a Catholic (capital C) health care provider organization, and we open all of our significant team meetings with prayer. I'm a Presbyterian, IT person, introvert, and find that particularly uncomfortable, but today was my turn to lead the prayer. I considered leading my management team in a round of Johnny Appleseed. Luckily for everyone involved, this Sunday's church service had provided me with the perfect answer in our prayer of confession:

God of hopes and dreams, we confess that at times our hopes and dreams are too confined. We want to create Us and Them, and so all too often we build ourselves up by putting others down. Help us to remember that all are welcome, that each one of us is a child of God. By the power of your Spirit help us to open up our hearts ato serve you and celebrate the gifts of all your people that together, we might plant and grow your kingdom with love, hope, and peace.

It was a very appropriate prayer for our team, as we have a pretty serious internal Them and Us complex on top of the usual IT versus business contention. My wife thought it very subversive of me to use a Prayer of Confession for my Catholic employer, whose doctrine suggests that we can only confess to God through a priest.

It surprised me, but it turns out that I really value my ability to be able to confess directly to God.


Nearly eight years ago, my then-fiancee and I were planning our wedding ceremony and I was adamant (though ultimately overruled) that we not include a Prayer of Confession. I sometimes skipped it in the service. Even as recently as three years ago, I can very distinctly remember thinking that the Prayer of Confession was only for people who didn't realize that they did things wrong sometimes. I knew that I made mistakes, but there wasn't any reason to admit that out loud to everyone around me! And I knew what I should do to be a better person. Why did we have to talk about it?

In retrospect, I can't believe that I felt I was above that.

Now when we get to the Prayer of Confession, I feel refreshed and energized to continue to do better works and be a better person. I was converted. There are probably several reasons why my perspective has changed, but I'm glad I have... I feel forgiven... I feel blessed. I didn't used to.