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Prayers for Holy Week

Dear God, we praise you because it is part of your nature to want to share our life with us. And not just the good times, but the bad times, too.
But your love for us does not stop there.
We praise you because you not only came in Jesus Christ to share our life and death, but also to draw us to yourself with an invitation to become your children.
But your love for us does not stop there.
We praise you because, when we accept this invitation to become your children, we open ourselves to the energy and power of your Holy Spirit which can give us the rich possibilities of life in all its fullness.
So let us open the doors of our church, and let us open our hearts and lives, to let you in. Amen.

Like your disciples, who ran away on Maundy Thursday evening and left you to be crucified alone, we let you down.
Whenever we leave innocent people to suffer alone, we let you down.
Whenever we fail to keep watch with people who are struggling against injustice, we let you down.
Whenever we choose the way of violence instead of the way of peace, we let you down.
Whenever we run away from difficult challenges or refuse to get involved in order to protect ourselves, we let you down.
Whenever we deny that we are your followers, we let you down.
Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.
Jesus, redeemer of the world, grant us peace. Amen.

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