Merciful Father,
Thank you for this day, yet another day when we are reminded that your mercies are new every morning. In your graciousness, and by your Holy Spirit, you bless us with this time and place of sanctuary and rest in your son Jesus Christ.
Renew our hearts, Lord, and give us a servant’s heart, for our King is the Servant King. Renew our hearts, Lord, for we quickly forget the sweet taste of forgiveness, and the fullness of forgiveness. We quickly forget how much we have been gifted in Christ, that we might pour out those gifts to others.
Renew our hearts, Lord, and make us receivers and proclaimers of the Gospel, of the Good News, of Christ. Make us receivers and proclaimers of the Good News of salvation in Him. Make us receivers and proclaimers of the Good News of the redemption and restoration we receive now in your Word, and the final redemption and restoration to come. Make us receive and proclaimers of the Good News of forgiveness on account of the crucified and living Christ. For according to His promise, having been forgiven, whoever we forgive on earth is forgiven in heaven. And if we as the church do not proclaim forgiveness, then who will?
So we call on you, Lord, to cause us to walk in unity with the Spirit and mind of Christ that we might show sympathy, and live in brotherly love with tender and humble hearts. Renew our hearts so we do not live according to the world’s expectations, with greed as our lodestar while repaying evil for evil or insult for insult. On the contrary, cause us to forgive, bless and serve others, for to this we are called in Christ, whose love and forgiveness washes over us that it may flow onto and into others.
AMEN.