From Tonight’s Liturgy

The Confession of Sin
from a collection of Puritan Prayers

O my Savior, help me.
I am slow to learn,
Prone to forget,
And weak to climb.

I am in the foothills when I should be on the heights.

I am pained by my graceless heart,
my prayerless days,
my poverty of love,
my sloth in the heavenly race,
my sullied conscience,
my wasted hours,
and my unspent opportunities.

I am blind while the light shines around me.

Take the scales from my eyes,
Grind to dust my heart of unbelief.

Make it my highest joy to study you,
Meditate on you,
Gaze on you,
Sit, like Mary, at your feet,
Lean, like John, your breast,
Appeal, like Peter, to your love,
Count, like Paul, all things loss.

I believe.
Help my unbelief.

Amen.