Confession: You Great Searcher of our Hearts

God, you great Searcher of our hearts,
is this the place where remorse begins?
You know our lives through and through.
You’ve seen the wrongs we try to hide,
the wrongs we dare to do in plain sight
and the wrongs we don’t even notice.
As we pause in the awareness of your gaze on us,
is this the place where repentance begins?
[silence]
You know how we can right the wrongs we’ve done;
the words of apology that need to be spoken,
the old ways of living that must be abandoned.
As you reveal new hopeful paths for us,
is this the place where redemption begins?
Thank you for Jesus, who knows exactly
how we are tempted
and how we can overcome temptation.
Through his life, death and resurrection,
he ushered us into this place
where forgiveness rests upon us
like a benediction.  Thank you!  Amen