Reading of the Law of God
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
Exodus 20.7
Confession of Sin
Our Father, we come to You as those called to bear Your holy
name before the watching world. We confess that all too often we have not
pursued this calling at all well. Instead of living like faithful disciples of
Jesus, which would make You look good, we have lived like our faithless
neighbors. We confess this sin without excuse. Our only hope is that You will
forgive us because of Jesus. Amen.
Declaration of Pardon
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died
for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though
perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love
for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8