Come, let us return to the Lord.
Loving God, your appearing is as sure as the dawn; you will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth. Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early. You do not desire mere sacrifice from us, but mercy. You desire mercy.
Come, let us return to the Lord.
We so often speak grandly about our righteousness, when, instead of being filled with the Holy Spirit, we are content to offer mindless sacrifices. Reject our attempts to just “get by” as Christians. Reject our efforts to sit around the table of the Lord, crowding out our enemies, those who we do not see fit to be filled with your blessings. You call us to share our possessions with those in need. You call us to share our time and talents to bring the Good News to life in the lives of others. You call us to share the sacrifice of our Lord with the wretched, the dispossessed, the downtrodden, and build them up in the spirit of the living God.
Come, let us return to the Lord.
When we fail to be loyal to one another, we break your covenants. When we fail to share your blessings, we break your covenants. When we ignore those who are suffering, we break your covenants.
Come, let us return to the Lord.
Forgive us when we throw money at a problem instead of getting involved, instead of making ourselves vulnerable to the needs of others, instead of going out on a limb and sharing your love with the lost.
Come, let us return to the Lord.
Strengthen us against the lures of Satan who tempts us to gather for ourselves at the cost of others. Engender in us the love of family and let us see that the family we must love is your entire world, your entire kingdom.
Open our arms to strangers, open our arms to those who are searching, open our arms to those who are different. Open our arms just as Jesus welcomes us sinners around his table. The table is large. It has room for all who are hungry, for all who wish to serve.
Now, we take a moment to silently share our prayers of thanksgiving and joy while we also lay at your feet our prayers of repentance and loss. Hear us, Lord.
We ask your special blessings today, Father, on Agape Women's Services. Bless their efforts as they provide Biblical counsel and support to women facing crisis pregnancies. Bless their efforts as they offer training on how to be good parents.
And now, we pray together, as a family, the prayer that Jesus, the savior of all, taught us to pray:
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