"We Are All Hitchhikers"

Our Prayer of Confession

Gracious and loving God, forgive us and do help us. We do not have the wisdom to help ourselves and yet, we keep attempting to live as if we did. When the good we have known crumbles beneath our feet and we are afraid to move forward, stuck in our hopelessness and self-pity, do carry us into the future. Help us find those acceptable alternative paths, those open doorways that will lead us to healing and reconciliation. When we cannot hide or claim immunity from the sins, the brokenness all around us because some of it is also part of who we are, we cry out to you for your gracious mercy and love. Restore us. We confess we find it much easier to complain, even in our despair, than accept your love and forgiveness, or the help of others. Help us both receive and give your love. Help us see the good.  Help us be part of the good in your world. Open our hearts and minds as we journey together to a new beginning, especially now.  Grateful for your faithfulness and for the love of your redeeming Son, we pray. Amen.

Our scripture today is from Ephesians, chapter 1 verses 3-8 from the Common English Bible.

3 Bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing that comes from heaven. 4 God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless in God's presence before the creation of the world. 5 God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love. This was according to his goodwill and plan 6 and to honor his glorious grace that he has given to us freely through the Son whom he loves. 7 We have been ransomed through his Son's blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace, 8 which he poured over us with wisdom and understanding.

This is the word of God for a people of God.

All: Thanks be to God.