Zion National Park, Utah
Opening Prayer
You show me the path of life, O God. In your presence there is fullness of joy.’ -Psalm 16:11 (silent reflection) Prayer of the Bible You are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a tent, you set the beams of your chambers on the waters, you make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind, you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! -Psalms 104:1-4,35 (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of Sin Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen! -Book of Common Prayer (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of Jesus “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may also be.” -John 14: 1-3 (Think deeply on these life-giving words of Jesus) Prayers for Ourselves and Others You answered me when I called to you; with your strength you strengthened me. -Psalm 138:3 (Time to bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing Prayer You taught us, Lord, that the greatest love a man can show is to lay down his life for his friends. But Your love was greater still, because You laid down Your life for Your enemies. It was while we were still enemies that You reconciled us to Yourself by Your death. What other love has ever been, or could ever be, like Yours? You suffered unjustly for the sake of the unjust. You died at the hands of sinners for the sake of the sinful. You became a slave to tyrants, to set the oppressed free. Amen -Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) 
Retz, Austria
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