Give Us Clean Hearts

Some worship resource ideas appropriate for September 2. Scroll down to find the following:

1. A Repentance Reading
2. Disciples' Generous Response -- World Hunger Emphasis
3. Disciples' Generous Response -- Shorter reading options

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[This is something I would pray. (Obviously--I prayed it when I wrote it.) Does it work for a congregation? You tell me.] 

A REPENTANCE READING

Inspired by Isaiah 29:13-14 / 2 Nephi 11:146-147

Reader 1:

Holy God—

I am a hypocrite.

I honor you with my lips,

but my heart is far from you.

I do not live up to the values I say I believe in.

I do not keep the promises I have made to you.

I know this about myself,

but I find ways to avoid facing the ugliness of it.

Even now, as I am confessing my hypocrisy,

I am not as sincerely remorseful about it as I should be.

All:

Holy God—

give me a clean heart.

Reader 2:

I am self-deceived.

I do not know your will as well as I believe I do.

I confuse my will for yours.

I mistake my own convictions or cultural values for revealed truth.

I teach human precepts as if they were your doctrines.

I do this without even knowing when I am doing it.

I know enough to know that I ought to know better

than to trust my puny mortal understanding.

But I am proud.

I like to believe that I’m right.

All:

Holy God—

give me a clean heart.

Reader 3:

God of wondrous power,

you have told us—

or rather, I believe you have told us—

that you have begun a marvelous work among us.

You have said that this work

will cause the understanding of the wise and the learned to perish—

to die.

That’s a frightening way for you to put it, 

when I stop to think about it.

Even so,

I am willing to let you perform this work on me.

I say that, even though I expect it will mean

having to face ugly and humiliating truths about myself.

I expect it will mean having to admit that I am wrong

about things I very much do not want to be wrong about.

It means that I will have to truly be changed.

Still, I am willing, 

because I trust that what you cause to die,

you will also raise to new life.

And I am more or less sincere when I say that.

All:

Holy God—

give me a clean heart.

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DISCIPLES’ GENEROUS RESPONSE -- WORLD HUNGER EMPHASIS

Adapted from D&C 42:8a-b, 58:3b-d; Isaiah 25:6, 29:19

Reader 1:

The Lord says:

If you love me, you will serve me

and keep all my commandments.

All:   Lord, we want to serve you.

Reader 1:

You will remember the poor

and consecrate, for their support,

what you have to impart to them.

All:   Lord, we bring you our offerings.

Reader 2:

For this cause I have sent you:

that you might lay the foundation

on which the Zion of God will stand . . .

All:   Lord, we want to build Zion.

Reader 2:

That a feast might be prepared for the poor—

a feast of fat things,

of wine well refined.

            All:   Lord, we accept the task.

                     We will prepare the feast.

                    

Reader 2:

Thus the earth may know

that the mouths of the prophets will not fail:

Reader 1:

“The Lord will make for all people a feast of fat things.”

“The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.”

            All:   Lord, we want to bring it to pass.

                   

The Leader then offers a prayer for the Blessing and Receiving of “Abolish Poverty, End Suffering” Contributions (includes World Hunger) and Mission Tithes.

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DISCIPLES' GENEROUS RESPONSE -- SHORTER READING OPTIONS

Option A.  Adapted from Mosiah 2:42-43

In order that you may walk guiltless before God,

impart of your substance to the poor,

each of you according to what you have—

feeding the hungry,

clothing the naked,

visiting the sick and administering to their relief.

Option B. Adapted from D&C 132:3

The words of Frederick M. Smith,

a servant of God:

“I admonish the church . . .

[that] all should consecrate

of their talents, abilities, and substance

for the prosecution of the great work entrusted to us.”

Option C. Adapted from D&C 36:2h-i

Leader:            The Lord called his people Zion,

All:                  because they were of one heart and one mind.

Leader:            They dwelt in righteousness,

All:                  and there were no poor among them.