These unison confessional prayers were created to accompany the sermon series “And With All Your Mind: A Series on Faith and Mental Health.” You are welcome to use or adapt these liturgies for worship, with credit. When printing these liturgies, please use the following credit line: “Prayer by Rev. Carol Holbrook Prickett.”
Week 1
Gracious God, forgive us
for neglecting to care
for the minds and bodies you give us;
for calling putting ourselves through pain “strength”
and the courage to seek help “weakness;”
for believing we are not worthy
of every healing gift you have to offer us.
In your tender mercy, Lord,
clear away these sins from our hearts,
and lead us deeper into your compassion, love, and grace.
In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.
Week 2
Gracious God, forgive us
that we ever doubted your grace;
that we thought anything could separate us from you;
that we heaped shame upon shame, and fear upon fear.
Teach us to treat crisis with gentleness,
shame with hope, fear with love,
and danger with courage.
Give us the strength to live life,
share life, and save life.
We pray in the name of the Resurrected Christ. Amen.
Week 3
Gracious God, forgive us
when we have believed
we could live apart from you;
when we have named ourselves or others
as “too far gone” to be part of your family;
when we have feared difference
and exiled those most in need of care and compassion.
Help us to claim the only label that matters, Lord:
we are your children, your beloved.
You are with us. Amen.
Week 4
Gracious God, forgive us
when we have forgotten our call
to wash one another’s feet—
that is, to do the sometimes unpleasant work
of loving, caring, and serving.
Forgive us too, when we get your call
confused with our own—
when we have tried to be Saviors,
to take on the whole world’s pain at once.
Give us the wisdom, Lord,
to know what is ours to do,
and to do it with love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, tenderness,
gentleness, and self-control. Amen.
Deep Well Worship 