Almighty God, we confess how hard it is to live faithfully as Your people. You have called us to be the church, to continue the mission of Jesus to this broken world. Yet we acknowledge we are often more apathetic than active, isolated than involved, callous than compassionate, obstinate than obedient, legalistic than loving. Gracious Lord, have mercy upon us and forgive our sins.  Remove the obstacles hindering us from being Your representatives in the world. Awaken our hearts to the promised gift of Your indwelling Spirit. This we pray in Jesus’s powerful name.

The words of the gospel for those who repent and believe:

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:6-7)