The Grace of Forgiveness...

Here is a prayer for us all...

God,

We come now to a time of offering.
We come to you today,
first to offer thanks--
we thank you for grace--the grace of good sleep.
The grace of the smell of fresh-cut grass.
The grace of a child's laugh,
of the act of loving someone,
and of being loved.

Forgive us--for withholding grace from ourselves and from others.

We accept the grace of your sacrifice for us.
We have been living in pig styes,
Some we have created and others we joined.
And now we run to you,
knowing that we don't deserve anything you have to give,
But needing the comfort of your arms.

So now we come to you...

As we come to accept your grace,
Change our hearts, God.
Take away our pride before we fall.
Help us to taste the freedom of forgiveness.
Help us to forgive ourseves to bring peace within.
And, in turn, help us to forgive others,
to become glad in each others' presence.

And through the grace of forgiveness,
make us a body,
a people...
That others recognize as goodness, as grace, as love
Offered freely to all.
This is our offering.
Amen.