Note: To be forgiven and have our guilt lifted from our shoulders is about as great as a gift can be. No wonder such crowds gathered around Jesus.

Greeting Leader: Men and women, children and youth, young and old, we are looking for people who have sinned.
People: I have sinned, many times. My life has been crippled by sin.
Leader: Then you have come to the right place. We are here so that you may know that the Son of Man, our Lord Jesus Christ, has authority on earth to forgive sins.
People: Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.

Prayer
Merciful Lord, you saw into the heart of the paralyzed man and you knew the sin that crippled him. You saw the questioning and criticisms lurking in the hearts of the scribes. And you see the right and wrong, the…