People Acceptable in His Sight

O Lord Jesus Christ, you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise make ready your way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient toward the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world, we may be found a people acceptable in your sight; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

One day Jesus will return as King of kings and Lord of lords. For that day, we wait patiently and vigilantly. Until then, how can we make the most of our waiting?

One answer is to live a life of preparation, and one way we can prepare is through a life of repentance. By taking an inventory of our actions and feeling remorse for our sins, we enter into the act of repentance. Hopefully, this leads to changed thinking, and changed behavior.

But about what should we repent? May I suggest an inaccurate view of God, ourselves, others? Therefore, we pray: “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.” (BCP, page 130)

As we repent, we prepare ourselves for the Lord’s return, for that day when our faith will be met with Christ’s appearance. Until then, may we repent of those things that clutter our lives so that we may become vessels acceptable in his sight.

The Lord’s peace be with you.