Sample Confessions

Sample Confessions / Responses to the Word / Responsive Prayers of the Church LW

NOTE: Confessions and Absolutions / Responses to the Word / Responsive Prayers of the Church are purchased as a unit and will be received single spaces and formatted to fit into a Service on a folded 14 x 8.5 piece of paper.

Series A – Lutheran Worship

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

THE OLD TESTAMENT READING: Micah 6:1-8

THE EPISTLE FOR THE DAY: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 5:1-12

Theme of Our Worship: The Paradoxical Kingdom of God

Pastor: Brothers and sisters in Christ, when our Lord Jesus began to teach his disciples he described life in his Kingdom in terms that are different from what people expect it should be.

ALL: That’s why people such as we may be part of it! It’s a Kingdom of Grace! It is God’s gift to all who are poor in spirit and will receive it as just that – a gift!

Pastor: It is in that poverty of spirit that we come before our God this morning.

ALL: Father in heaven, Your Word teaches us the truth about us. We know better than to stand before You proudly listing all we do for You. We are sinners who must mourn the fact that our sins offend You and hurt others. Forgive us for being self-seeking instead of meek, for pursuing life’s negatives instead of a pure heart, for letting our anger disturb the peace with those around us, for failing to hunger and thirst for the righteousness that You give us, for being timid about standing up for You in Christian witness. Turn things around for us in our lives, Father, so we do not miss Your blessings – for only You can.

Pastor: Hear the Good News again! Our Lord Jesus came, not just to be our Teacher, but to be our Savior! He gave himself in atonement for our sins. In his Name I assure You: Your sins are forgiven! Now he sends his Spirit to work in you his gift of new life in his Kingdom of Grace! Rejoice, then, in his forgiving love, and live new lives to his glory!

ALL: Amen! As we live under his mercy, may we learn to be merciful to all around us.

WE RESPOND TO THE WORD WITH THE WORD – Based on Ephesians 1:3-14

Pastor: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

ALL: He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

Pastor: In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons and daughters through his Son, Jesus Christ.

ALL: All of this was in accordance with his pleasure and will – and redounds to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Pastor: In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.

ALL: All of this was in accordance with the riches of his grace – which he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Pastor: He has made known to us the mystery of his saving will, which he purposed in Christ from eternity.

ALL: And now, when the times have reached their fulfillment, he has put his saving purpose into effect – to bring together all things in heaven and on earth under one head, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pastor: Having believed in his Son we have been marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.

ALL: He is God's deposit, guaranteeing our inheritance, until all who are God's chosen possession will be fully restored to him – to the praise of his glory.

Prayer of the Church

Pastor: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Father in heaven, we thank You that You have blessed us again today with Your Word of truth in Jesus Christ. We rejoice that You have opened our hearts to know him and trust him as our Savior and follow him as our Lord.

ALL: Grant us grace, so what he described in his Beatitudes may truly become our attitudes and actions. Thus may we learn to imitate him to his glory, and never miss out on his gracious blessings.

Pastor: Your psalmist of old asked, "What is man, that You are mindful of him?" In the same way, Father, we must be full of wonder, and ask, "Who are we, that You should rescue us from sin and death and give us life in Your Kingdom?"

ALL: We surely have no reason to boast in ourselves. If we boast at all, then, we will boast in the Lord! He has become our redemption, our righteousness, our holiness!

Pastor: How may we please You, Lord? Is it with the sacrifice of worship, with our songs of praise, with our pledges of devotion to You and Your will?

ALL: Yes, all of these may please You this morning. But we know what You really want of us in our daily living: that we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with You as Your children. Empower us to do that, Father, to Your glory.

Pastor: Father, we bring our families and friends to You for Your blessing. We ask You to guide and bless especially those who are experiencing difficult days – and we join in praising You with those who are celebrating good things You are doing in their lives. We name before You . . . . In our hearts we commend to Your care also these who are near and dear to each of us. . . . Lord, hear our prayer and continue to bless them as only You can.

ALL: Help all of us to live in daily awareness of the truth: that when we have Your loving and forgiving Presence with us, we have what makes a life-saving difference now and eternally.

Pastor: With all this in mind, Father, we look with joy to our celebration of Holy Communion at our Lord’s Table of Blessing.

ALL: Touch our hearts and our lives with the Body and Blood of our Lord, so we may continually turn from sin and self to walk in faith and love. Amen.

(Ending of Prayer for use in Service without Holy Communion:)

Pastor: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend ourselves and all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. With joy we join in praying as he taught us:

ALL: Our Father, who art in heaven; Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Series B – Lutheran Worship

FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT

THE OLD TESTAMENT READING: Jeremiah 31:31-34

THE EPISTLE FOR THE DAY: Hebrews 5:7-9

THE HOLY GOSPEL: John 12:20-33

Theme of Our Worship: Willing Obedience, Our Savior’s Glory

Pastor: Brothers and sisters in Christ, when our Lord Jesus was approached by some Greek 'God-fearers' he was moved to talk about a kernel of wheat dying to produce many seeds.

ALL: He was speaking about the impending hour of his own death – but he spoke about it as his being glorified.

Pastor: Because he saw his atoning suffering and dying as his greatest glory, he went to the cross for us and for all – and now we may approach God in openness and honesty.

ALL: Father in heaven, we acknowledge before You our sinfulness and our sinning – truths about us that You know better than we do. We confess that even as Christians we love ourselves, and often want our lives to be the way we want them to be – instead of loving You with our whole heart, and walking in the Way of Your Son. Forgive us, Father, for Jesus' sake. Lead us to glorify him by believing in him as our Savior, but also by following him and obeying him as our Lord.

Pastor: Hear the Good News again! By being glorified in his death for us, Jesus has judged the world and overcome the prince of this world. Through him God has made a new covenant with us. The Spirit of Truth now writes the Good News of Jesus in our hearts. In his Name I say to you: Your gracious God has forgiven your sins and remembers them no more. Walk in that assurance on this Lord's Day – and every day.

ALL: Amen! Because he was lifted up on the cross, he draws us to himself – the Source of salvation for all who obey him.

WE RESPOND TO THE WORD WITH THE WORD – Based on 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

Pastor: Christ's love compels us, for we are convinced that he died for all. Therefore, in him we too died to sin.

ALL: He died for all, so that we who live in him should no longer live for ourselves, but for him who died for us and was raised again.

Pastor: As a result, we no longer regard anyone just from a worldly point of view.

ALL: Now we perceive that all who are in Christ are a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come!

Pastor: All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, not counting our sins against us.

ALL: And now he has committed to us the ministry and the message of reconciliation.

Pastor: We are Christ's ambassadors to our world. It is as though God were making his appeal through us.

ALL: On Christ's behalf we implore those around us: Be reconciled to God!

Pastor: We rejoice to proclaim the Good News: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

ALL: Since God has made us his fellow workers, let us not receive God's grace in vain. Now is the time of God's favor! Now is the day for us to receive his salvation! Now is the time for us to proclaim his salvation to all around us!

THE PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Pastor: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs. Father in heaven, we thank You again this day for the willing obedience of Your Son, which took him all the way to the cross for us.

ALL: We have come here to see Jesus, and we have again been filled with wonder at his calling his suffering for us his 'glory'. We find again that our lives are renewed as we again are assured that his entire purpose was to redeem, and to reach out and rescue.

Pastor: You have given us Your Word, Father. And through Your Holy Spirit You have given us the new hearts that we need to glorify You as Your Son did – through willing obedience.

ALL: Give us grace, so this day, and the days ahead of us, will be just that: days in which we happily give ourselves to Your service. Thus may all around us know that we are disciples of Jesus, as they see us love and serve one another.

Pastor: As we commit ourselves again to willing obedience, we thank You for those who are our models of this, our leaders in our life in the church.

ALL: Bless our Synodical and District officials. Be with our pastor and elected leaders here at in our church. Strengthen them for true spiritual leadership – and as they lead, enable us to follow eagerly into the Way that will glorify You.

Pastor: We again come to You with people on our minds. You know them and their circumstances, Father – the difficulties some are experiencing, and the joys others are celebrating. Confident of Your love and help, we name before You . . . . In our hearts we commend to You also these who are near and dear to us. . . . Carry out Your saving will in their lives and in the lives of all of us.

ALL: Then we will find it our true glory to give ourselves to our Savior and to one another in his Name. With all that in mind, we look with joy to meeting him and them at the Table to which he invites us again today. Amen.

(Ending for Prayer of the Church for Services without Holy Communion:)

Pastor: We again come to You with people on our minds. You know them and their circumstances, Father – the difficulties some are experiencing, and the joys others are celebrating. Confident of Your love and help, we name before You . . . . Carry out Your saving will in their lives and in the lives of all of us.

ALL: Then we will find it our true glory to give ourselves to our Savior and to one another in his Name – to his greater glory.

Pastor: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend ourselves and all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. We pray confidently, for he assures us that You always hear the prayers of those who come in the Name:

Series C – Lutheran Worship

Theme of Our Worship: Grace Alone! Faith Alone! Scripture Alone! Christ Alone!

Pastor: No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

ALL: In him the whole building is joined together, and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord, a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Pastor: Today, with Christians around the world, we celebrate the Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation.

ALL: We rejoice that we still benefit from the fruits of its great principles: GRACE ALONE! FAITH ALONE! SCRIPTURE ALONE! CHRIST ALONE!

Pastor: By grace we have been saved through faith. It is the gift of God, not by works – so no one may boast about it.

ALL: He saved us, not because of righteous things we have done, but because of his great mercy.

Pastor: We rejoice to say, "It was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!"

ALL: How great to know that we are saved by grace! We are freed from thinking that we somehow must be deserving before God will love us. He loves us! He reaches out to us where we are!

Pastor: Our Lord Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only – but for the sins of the whole world.

ALL: No one will be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the Law. What the Law does is make us fully aware of our sins.

Pastor: We rejoice to say: "We have been justified by faith in Christ, apart from observance of laws."

ALL: How great to know we are saved through faith! What we might offer to God is always incomplete and imperfect. But since we are justified through faith in Christ's completed redemption, we have peace with God!

Pastor: All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that God's people may be equipped for every good work.

ALL: God's Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. Our hearts are set on keeping his helpful decrees to the very end.

Pastor: Jesus said to his Father, "I have given them Your Word. Your Word is truth. Sanctify them by Your truth!"

ALL: How great to have the inspired writings of the apostles and prophets as the source and norm of Christian teaching! And how great that through the Word we are made wise to salvation in Christ Jesus!

Pastor: Let us continue to live in him, the living Stone – rejected by many, but chosen by God and precious to him.

ALL: Then, as living stones, built into a spiritual house, we will offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ our Lord.

(Sung) We praise You, God the Father, Confess You, God the Son, Through You, the Holy Spirit – Our God, the Three in One.

For men like Martin Luther, Who loved Your saving Word, And set its truths before us, Your praises now be heard!

Now we on earth have union With You, the Three in One, And mystic, sweet communion With those whose rest is won.

O blessed heav'nly chorus! Lord, save us by Your grace That we, like saints before us, May see You face to face!

Pastor: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs. Father in heaven, we praise You this day that in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have set us free from sin, death, and hell. We are free to live in his Kingdom of Grace.

ALL: Give us Your Holy Spirit so we may enjoy that freedom fully – and use it responsibly to Your glory, and to our benefit and that of our neighbor.

Pastor: Keep us ever mindful that our new life of freedom as Your children is Your gift to us in Christ, purchased and won for us through his atoning sacrifice for our sins.

ALL: Then we will continually look to him, and will be confident and secure – knowing we are justified by faith in our Savior, and works or lack of works on our part do not even enter into that consideration.

Pastor: On this Sunday of the Reformation we thank You for the men and women of God who have been Your gifts of blessing to the Church down through history..

ALL: We praise You that through them we may build our lives on the firm foundation of Your Holy Gospel – and not on any uncertain, works-based religious system.

Pastor: We thank You also for those who are Your gifts to us today: professors, theologians, pastors, teachers. Through their Spirit-given insights into the Word You are working to keep us on the path of true teachings – and our spirits are being nourished.

ALL: By Your grace, help all of us to be good disciples, good students. Help us to grow in grace and the knowledge of Jesus, in our appreciation and understanding of Your Word, and in its vital application to our daily lives.

Pastor: Father, we seek that security in faith and life also for our friends and loved ones who are in special circumstances of need. And we also join those who are praising You for blessing them in significant ways. We name before You .... Lord, let all of them know that they are safe in Your hand of love.

ALL: Give to them – and to all of us – the joy of the redeemed! Thus may we live day by day as brothers and sisters in Christ, Your beloved children in Your family of blessing.

Pastor: And now we look with joy to our gathering at the Table of our Lord to be fed again with heavenly Food.

ALL: Through this gracious Sacrament strengthen us in faith toward You, in fervent love toward one another, and in deeper dedication to Your Gospel and to its proclamation everywhere. Amen.

Pastor: All this we ask in the Name of our Lord Jesus, confidently bringing to You all that is on our hearts in the words he taught us:

ALL: Our Father who art in heaven; Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever and ever. Amen.