A Prayer for MLK Weekend

This weekend's Prayer of Confession was written by our PHPC Race Still Matters team: Karen McCraken, Anne Edwards, Karen Wiese, Kathy Liebendorfer, Craig Liebendorfer, Pat Nobles, Kris Kamm

God of all creation, you have loved us with a love beyond our understanding and set us on paths of righteousness for your name’s sake. Yet, we have strayed from your paths in thought, word, and deed by what we have done and what we have left undone.

We confess, O God, that when faced with injustice, we look the other way. Forgive us for turning our gaze away from our neighbor’s suffering, refusing to see the structures of racism that shape and imprison us all. 

We confess that when faced with injustice, we close our ears to the cries of others. Forgive us for relying on familiar narratives about the way the world works. Forgive our continued omissions to the full truth within our national story that have squashed the hope that you desire for every person to know that they are loved and cherished. 

We confess that when faced with injustice, we close off our hearts. Forgive us for the temptation to exclude different viewpoints than our own. 

Help us walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Empower us to break free from the shell of indifference. Lead us away from the temptation to talk and not listen. Free us from denial. Grant us the courage to acknowledge our sin and seek reconciliation. Amen.