God, we come to praise Your Name. You are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who heard the plight of Your people in Egypt and brought them out of Egypt with a strong arm. You are the God who sent Your prophets to proclaim Your Word to Your people. You are merciful and slow to anger, never forsaking Your people but remaining steadfast and true to Your covenant.

You are the God who saw our desperation and sent Your Son to earth on a mission to proclaim good news to the poor and the needy and the lost. You are the God who looked at those of us who are Gentiles and proclaimed the good news to us, too, and adopted us into Your family as sons and daughters and heirs.

Father, we confess that we did not deserve this grace. And we confess that, even now, as members of Your household, we continue to rebel against You, continue to forget Your goodness, continue to look everywhere but You to find what we are longing for. Forgive us for the things that we have done, and for the things that we have left undone.

Father, we confess that we do not speak the truth to one another, in big ways and in small ways. Lord, we confess that we  are not careful to ensure that every word from our mouths is true and serves to build up Your body. Lord, we confess that we regard white lies as no affront to You or to Your people. Lord, we confess that we fail to correct the record when falsehoods are spoken, that we are indifferent to these threats to the unity of Your church. Lord, help us, we pray.

Father, we confess our anger with one another and with those around us. We confess that we have allowed this anger to take root in our hearts and grow into bitterness toward others. We confess that we think little of others and fail to believe the best in them, that we fantasize about confronting one another in anger, that we even enjoy and take pleasure in the anger and hatred that we feel toward others in our hearts. Lord, help us, we pray.

Father, we confess our covetousness and our lack of generosity. Forgive us that we want things that aren’t ours and that You haven’t provided to us. We confess our rebellion against Your providence, that we don’t really believe You will take care of us, that You will ensure we have what we need. Lord, we confess our resistance to sharing the good things You have given us with others, we confess that we hoard our possessions like the Israelites hoarded manna, failing to recognize that we have is a gift and also that even good gifts in this world don’t last. Lord help us, we pray.

Lord, thank You for Your Word and for not leaving us alone and in the dark. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us, for coming to us, and for sending Your Son to us. Lord, thank You for providing a way for our salvation spiritually.

And thank You that You are not just concerned with our spiritual condition, but that You are our provider as well. Thank You that You provide for us what we need, that You are concerned with the details of our lives. Lord, thank You that You are not far off, but that you are close and near.

Lord, this Advent, we pray for our hearts and ask that You would help us to take stock of what You have done in history and in our lives. Lord, use this service today and Your Word to transform us and to shape us.