Reading of the Law of God
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Exodus
20.16
Confession of Sin
Our Father, we confess to You that we have broken Your Law. We
have ‘shaded the truth’ to avoid embarrassment. We have gossiped. We have
spoken rashly against others. We have failed to defend our neighbors’ good
names when others have slandered them. In these and other ways we have
disobeyed this commandment. We come again to ask forgiveness of our hateful sins.
We do this through Jesus, the only one who can provide forgiveness. Amen.
Declaration of Pardon
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that
you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours
only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2.1-2