Send the Light: Confessional Cycle

These confessional prayers were created to accompany the Advent sermon series “Send the Light.” The bold text is spoken by the whole congregation. 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: “Send Hope”

God of all goodness,
we confess that right now
challenges abound
and hope seems hard to find.
Warm us with the fire of your presence.
Come to us again as Emmanuel,
God with us,
the one who makes a way out of no way
the one will lead us through the darkness
until the dawn brims again.
In Christ’s holy name we pray. Amen. 

Week 2: Send Peace

God of our living,
you have asked us to repent,
to turn back to you.
Yet we march stubbornly 
down paths of our own making,
no matter who we hurt along the way
or how hurt we ourselves become.
Call us back to the waters of grace,
to wash the dust from our feet
and soothe the scars we’ve accrued.
Call us back to your paths of justice,
righteousness, compassion, and peace.
In Christ’s holy name we pray.  Amen. 

Week Three: Send Joy

God of new beginnings, 
you give us so much to rejoice over. 
All around us are signs of your grace, love, and power. 
Yet in our need to control 
and our obsession with our own plans, 
we gloss over what you have done. 
We miss opportunities to rejoice with you 
because we are waiting for life to be perfect first. 
Teach us the joy of your heart, 
joy that does not wait,
but bubbles up around and within us.
In Christ’s holy name we pray. Amen. 

Week Four: Send Love

God of impossibilities,
Forgive our obsession with what we can do,
and our neglect of all you can do.
Teach us, like Mary, to say yes to you
with courage and faith. 
Give us strength to upend all our plans
if it means being part of your plan. 
Shape us into vessels of your love,
and empower us to send your love
into a world suffused by sorrow.
We pray in the holy name of Christ,
who comes into the world each day through us.
Amen.

Week Five: Send the Light

God of all graciousness,
forgive us when, weary, we settle for less
than the fullness of your promises;
when we do not believe you still care,
or when we believe you do not care for us,
or when we believe you only care for us.
Remind us that you sent your only son,
because you loved the whole world.
Help us to love the whole world, too.
In Christ’s holy name, we pray. Amen.