Lord
God, you search our hearts. You know what is deep in us.
You know where we really stand.
We
praise and bless you that you are not taken in by
appearances, by professions of faith which find poor
expression in the way we live our daily lives, by
professions of unfaith which actual actions contradict;
--
and confess to you the fear in our hearts that you who see
through us cannot abide the half-hearted way in which our
public lives testify to you.
We
praise and bless you that you stay with those who are put
off by our language and habits and unpreparedness to stand
up and be counted on the side of justice;
--
and confess to you the fear in our hearts that we who are
called to reveal you to the nations have hidden your true
face from them.
We
praise and bless you that you accept people as they are,
in love for the world to which Christ came; and look to
all kinds of people to respond to you in their own time
and manner;
--
and confess to you the fear in our hearts that we bring
shame upon you, by our conduct towards some people,
declaring them to be unacceptable, cutting them off as if
that were your verdict upon them.
We
praise and bless you for the integrity which marks the
lives of so many women, men and children who may not be
aware that they are living to your glory;
--
and tell you of the joy in our hearts that, above and
beyond everything we do which might obscure your face, you
keep faith with people would do not know your name and you
honour their straight and honest ways.
Look
in mercy on us Lord. We have no excuses. We have nothing
to turn to, nothing to hold on to but that love in Jesus
Christ which forgives and restores. Grant us new
opportunity, by amendment of life, to testify to your
transforming presence in the world.
