Prayer of confession – August 2, 2020

These are contentious times, Author of Life.
We are constantly wrestling with something.
We wrestle with each other:
over opposing points of view, and their varied interpretations,
our differing experiences, or lack thereof,
over how to mend the rips and tears in the fabric of our lives,
who will or should stand in the gap.

We wrestle with ourselves:
our competing interests, obligations, time constraints,
our doubts and fears,
our cans and shoulds, our wants and needs.

And we wrestle with you, Holy One.
We wrestle with your Word –
with what it says, and what it means.
Preferring Holy Certainty to Holy Mystery,
we chafe against your inscrutable ways.
There is already too much uncertainty in these pandemic days.

We don’t like it.

Equating the wrestling with our most negative
perceptions of conflict, we seek to avoid it at all costs.

Forgive us, Holy One.
In so doing, we miss possibility; we short-circuit hope.

An integral part of discernment, it is in the wrestling
that we discover what we truly believe, what really matters,
where clarity, understanding, and positive change are birthed.

It is where we find you.

Cleanse and renew us, Author of Life.
Put a right spirit within us.
Replace our fear with tenacious faith, and stubborn, defiant hope.

May we choose, like our ancestor Jacob –
to stay present; to keep wrestling,
not letting go until your blessing is recognized and received.

A Prayer of Confession, based in Genesis 32, from Kathy Swaar