Prayers of Confession on Sabbath
Gracious God, today we begin to pay attention to the fact that you rested on the seventh day. Somehow, you finished your work by resting. This seems odd to us, even contrary to how we think about work. Teach us, Lord, to think of work and rest as you do. Help us to model our own lives after you, so that we might live fully and fruitfully. Amen.
Gracious God, in six days you created all things. On the seventh day you finished your work by resting. You also blessed and hallowed the seventh day, setting it aside as a day of rest. Teach me, Lord, what this means for me. May my life not primarily be formed by the demands of my work, the expectations of my culture, or the urgings of my feelings. Rather, may my life be formed by you, by your example, by your truth. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. Amen.
Gracious God, for many of us, the notion of Sabbath-keeping is foreign. It suggests old-fashioned traditionalism or constrictive legalism. Yet, your example in Genesis 2, not to mention other portions of Scripture, challenges us to consider our own patterns of work and rest. Help us, Lord, to understand more deeply what it means for us to live as your people when it comes to the matter of regular rest. May we learn from your Word, from each other, from those with traditioned wisdom, and from your indwelling Spirit. Amen.