Epiphany 11

Lord and Lamb,

You deserve our utmost and more; you are beyond all we could give. We offered lambs without blemish and did not neglect to season our grain offerings, but were you satisfied with these? Did you hunger for your own handiwork? No, but you made opportunities that we might feast with you, give to you, offer up and call upon your name. We bless him who is already blessed forever; we exalt him who is already above the highest heaven.

Rather you bless us to be pleased with our offerings. Him who is from the beginning, the eternal and only God has taken pleasure in us. It is rather we who need your offerings. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. You say we need offerings and sacrifices for peace with you, and you are no liar. We offer to you, once again, not the work of our hands but the full atonement you have made by the blood of the cross. In Christ we have refuge from the trouble we have made for ourselves. Your sacrifice comes as ever: at your cost and our gain. Let us have peace, stillness, in the knowledge that our God has provided in Jesus Christ.