A Song for Corporate Confession

I wrote a song today for corporate confession in worship. I recognize many of its lines might make churchgoers uncomfortable, but this song is actually tame compared to some of the things God has seen fit to speak through the Old and New Testament prophets. Please let me know how you think it can be improved before it gets set to music.

A Song for Corporate Confession

Father, this is our confession.
Hear and bless it for your name.
Jesus, seal it with your passion.
Spirit, render it in flame.

You have filled our lives with comfort.
We have given you small thanks.
In the eye of your great blessing,
we have spit out our complaints.

We have turned our hands from mercy.
We have overlooked the poor.
You have asked what we are lacking;
we have answered only, “More.”

Father, this is our confession.
Hear and bless it for your name.
Jesus, seal it with your passion.
Spirit, render it in flame.

We have lusted after power.
We have trusted in our things.
We have bowed our knee to Mammon,
put our confidence in kings.

We have lost sight of your vision.
We would perish in our sin.
While our faces turn to worship,
our hearts turn away within.

Father, this is our confession.
Hear and bless it for your name.
Jesus, seal it with your passion.
Spirit, render it in flame.

The skirts that we have lifted
to the market and the state
have been blood-stained by the guiltless
countless millions we have slain.

We have seen our fathers in the dark
defiling wives and daughters,
yet we have not stretched our arms out
to restrain them from the slaughter.

Father, this is our confession.
Hear and bless it for your name.
Jesus, seal it with your passion.
Spirit, render it in flame.

Discipline your children
as a father, his delight.
Please do not forsake us
to the blindness of our sight.

Please do not forsake us
though our hearts have gone astray.
Lead us to repentance;
guide us back into your way.

Father, this is our confession.
Hear and bless it for your name.
Jesus, seal it with your passion.
Spirit, render it in flame.

***********************

beggar-on-a-bridge

7 responses

  1. Teared up a bit first time thru.

    Yes indeed it is tame compared to Scripture…meanwhile I have to catch myself from feeling an unholy hang-up with the Bible’s own language.

    So to combat this, I will intermittently work on writing songs based off of the Psalms & Prophets.

  2. Just googling songs for corporate repentance and this popped up. Did you ever set it to music? (from Phil in the UK)

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