Sunday Prayer: Confession

We have listened to the wrong gods, O Holy Life,
to the ones that say “Pull yourself up
by your own bootstraps” and the ones
that say “Your help is in the rat race.”

Hear your people protest: “How long?”

Hear your people confess: “No more!”

We have said our prayers to the wrong gods, O Holy Life,
to the ones that prophesy “Sinners deserve
condemnation” and the ones that guilt-trip
“No sacrifice is good enough to know love.”

Hear your people protest: “How long?”

Hear your people confess: “No more!”

We have been disciples of the wrong gods, O Holy Life,
of the ones that subjugate saying “You need
to be controlled” and the ones that betray
saying “Build the fire for your own sacrifice.”

Hear your people protest: “How long?”

Hear your people confess: “No more!”

No more, O Life, no more
and never again shall we
serve gods that demand
death before they grant
life, gods that baptize us
in our own blood saying
“This is holy,” gods that
value heaven’s gold over
one breath and gods that
value earth’s gold more
than heaven’s solidarity.

Hear your people protest: “How long?”

Hear your people confess: “No more!”

And let it be so.

Amen.

on the Revised Common Lectionary texts

The Rev. Rachel G. Hackenberg‘s book with co-author Martha Spong, Denial Is My Spiritual Practice (and Other Failures of Faith), searches for faith through life’s trials. Rachel has also written Writing to God, a popular Lenten devotional, among other books.

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