Prayers of Confession on Incarnation

Inspired by John 6:56-69

Father God, you have provided us with bread from heaven through your incarnate Son; He is all that we need for spiritual revival and restoration. We, though, have taken offense at his invitation to abide in him through his body and blood offered on our behalf. It is too primitive, too bloody, too gory, too bodily for us to accept. Many of us have walked away from the cross because it is contrary to our understanding of justice, mercy, and grace. We would rather have a cleaned up and crowned up version of redemption that does not require us to trust in the messiness and humiliation of a crucifixion and the communal offering of a Savior broken for our sake. Forgive us for our temptation to walk away from the sacrificial offering of your Son on our behalf. Amen.

Submitted by Gabe Fung

Adapted from John 1:10-11; Isaiah 52:7-10

Father in Heaven, we confess that we never knew you had come down. We confess that we were in the dark as to your light among us. Though the world was created through your Word, we could not grasp the reality that he had entered into our neighborhood and taken up residence. We could not receive him whom we did not see. In all his humility, in his appearance in unexpected places, we were blind. We have only ourselves to blame for not opening our eyes of faith and ears of understanding. May You forgive us and once again on this Nativity of Christ’s birth proclaim the good news of your comfort and redemption to us, so that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God. Amen.

Scott Bullock

Lord, you came to dwell among us, yet we did not recognize you. We still fail to recognize you. You show up in unexpected places and through unexpected people. We fail to see you in the people who are different from us. We fail to see you in the life you call us to live. Please open our eyes to your presence and open our hearts to your leading as we silently confess our sins to you now…. 

Submitted by Austin D. Hill

Lord, thank You for the gift of Your Word. You are a God who wants to be known and heard. You have spoken and continue to speak to humanity though Jesus, Your Incarnate Word, and Scripture, Your written Word. Thank You. Lord, forgive us for failing to listen to Your Word. Sometimes when You speak to us, we question whether we heard You correctly. At other times, we know You have spoken but we choose not to listen. Many times, we are too distracted with the rest of our lives to hear You speaking at all. Forgive us. Lord, help us trust and obey Your Word. Give us clarity and wisdom to recognize Your voice. Give us confidence and courage to follow You. Help us. We believe, Lord, but help our unbelief. In the Name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Lord and God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have only begun to comprehend the wonder of the Incarnation, that you in Christ would become one of us, that you in Christ would live among us and be tempted like we are, that you in Christ would go to the cross for us, and that you in Christ would rise to new life in the conquest of death and the victory of a new life. Forgive us because we have only begun to understand this mystery. Launch us anew upon the way that will lead us to a deeper understanding of this truth, and that will make us lovers of God and lovers of neighbor in dimensions of grace that we have not even imagined. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hassell Bullock