Reading of the Law of God
You have heard that
it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to
you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be
sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and
on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love
those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do
the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than
others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as
your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5.43-48
Confession of Sin
Our Father, once
again Your Law points out our sin. We find it easy to love those who love us
back. But Your Law requires more. It requires us to love those who do not love
us back but rather want to harm us. We find that so hard to do. But that is no
excuse. Our failure to do this is sin. And so, we ask again for the forgiveness
that Jesus provided for us by His life and death. We also ask that Your Spirit
might do His powerful work in our lives so that we might love as You love.
Amen.
Declaration of Pardon
For I delivered to
you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures 1 Corinthians 15.3
May almighty God
have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Book of Common
Prayer