Take warning O judges of the earth. Now, O Kings of the earth, show discernment. Hear the word of the Lord. Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry and ye perish in the way. For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are those who take refuge in the Lord.

Lord, we come to the God of the Bible. We come to the Holy Trinity. We come to the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We confess our faith together as God's covenant people that there is only one Living and True God. All other gods are helpless idols.

Lord, not a day has passed in our lives that we have not proved to be guilty in Thy sight. We have sinned every day. We have failed to do our duties as we ought. We have been slack in our religious duties. We have not been constant in prayer. We have prayed a heartless prayer. We have not even prayed at all. We have failed to praise Thee. We have not digested Thy word. Its covers have not been opened. We have failed to listen to the word being preached, thinking it is only a man in the pulpit. True he is, but you have promised to speak to us as mere men open the Holy Scriptures to us. We go looking everywhere for God and He is here in this place every Sunday. Why go to the ends of the sea or climb the highest mountain, when God is present in His word and His sacraments? What fools men are who know not where to find Thee. Lord, forgive us for our sins.

O Christ, though our sins weigh us down and we have no merits to bring to Your feet, we cast ourselves on Thy mercy. We are worthy of nothing but rejection. There is nothing is us worthy of reception. Yet, O Christ, You died for sinners, and not for the righteous. It is the sick who need a physician and not the healthy. Here we are O Lord. Grant that we may be healed by Your stripes. Grant that we may be made whole by your bruises. Grant that we might be made alive by Your death.

Lord, live with us always who always live with sin in this world. Lord, give peace to us who will always know worry in this world. Lord, give us life even though we live in the midst of death. Flood our souls with mercy and grace. Open unto us the springs of heaven and pour out the Spirit of peace and power upon us. Uplift us when we are sad. Brighten our day when we see only darkness. Raise us up when we are weak. Give us rest when we have labored beyond our strength. Calm our hearts in the midst of turmoil. May the faith we have built over the years enable us to survive the storms that take away the foundations.

O Lord, we come to worship you in spirit and in truth. Without worship we are no better than the world. It is in Thy holy place that You desire us to be. It is according to Thy word that we are to worship Thee. We must not create anything that you have forbidden. We must come before Thee as you have commanded us. We must not add to take away from Thy word. Neither must we add or take away from the worship you have prescribed.