God.

You invite us into relationship with you.
You send us to do your work.

We don’t feel worthy of either one. Except sometimes.

Sometimes we expect you to help us do your work on our terms.
We demand your love on our terms.
We say, “If you really loved us, you would fix this, you would change them, you would leave me alone.”
We say, “I’m doing this for you, so you should do that for me.”

We say that we can’t believe in a God like we are told you are.

But when we stop and talk with you, we have much to confess.

We confess that we are not the ones who get to decide what your love is; you are.
We confess that we are not the ones who get to decide what your work is; you are.
We confess that we like telling you what you should do
more than we like receiving your words of challenge and comfort and compassion.
And we confess that we don’t really believe that you have already forgiven us.

God, you are patient and kind.
You don’t envy or boast.
You bear all things,
believe all things,
hope all things,
endure all things.

We know that because you, Jesus, did that.
All the way to the cross and beyond.

God, help us to love with your love, to work with your strength, to speak your words, to wait in your silence.

God, help us.

Amen.

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Jeremiah 1; 1 Corinthians 13; Luke 4