Redeemer Family,
This past Sunday we explored the Practice of Confession and how it helps us tear down the idol of self-image. (If you missed the sermon, you can listen to it here.)
Over the years I have found confession, in all its forms, to be a deeply helpful and encouraging practice. I find that once I get over my fears, God is more tender than I expected, my friends are more understanding than I anticipated, and the priest to whom I confess is utterly without judgement or condemnation. Confession has helped me receive and experience the grace that God offers to me every day.
I hope the same can be true for you, and to that end I want to offer some potential next steps if you’d like to practice confession during this season of Lent:
Confess directly to God: Read Psalm 32:1-4 and then spend some time writing down the things you want to confess to God. This will help your stream of consciousness not get derailed by random thoughts, to-do lists, or other worries. After reading your list aloud to the Lord, conclude by reading the rest of Psalm 32, verses 5-11.
Confess to a Priest: Schedule a 15-minute confession time-slot with either me (using this link) or the Rev. Lane Cowin (using this link).
This is not a time for chit-chat or small talk. We will not be catching up on how things are going.
This is a solemn time (with deep joy waiting on the other side).
Prepare for this time by writing down a list of both your sins of commission (wrong things done) and sins of omission (right things left undone).
When you arrive for your session, we will sit down side by side, light a candle, and use the brief liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer to give structure to our time.
When the liturgy concludes, we will thank each other and bid each other farewell, but will not slide into small talk.
This formal structure allows the priest to serve as simply an aid to your conversation with the Lord. The focus is on you and God, not the priest.
Confess to Trusted Friends: Reach out to a close friend or friends who are mature in their faith, not prone to gossiping, overreacting, or minimizing sin. Let them know ahead of time that you desire to confess to them (instead of springing it on them without warning). Talk about what happened and why. Do your best to be straightforward and honest, not exaggerating or slipping into defensiveness. Ask your trusted friends to pray for you, that you might be forgiven and have the courage to truly repent - turning away from sin and turning towards the goodness of Christ.
Redeemer family, I love you all dearly. I hope that we can be the kind of parish where, instead of posturing our virtue we can be open, honest, and vulnerable about weaknesses, failures, and sins. While a church community should never be a “safe place” to commit sins, it absolutely must be a safe place to confess our sins.
In the Father’s love,
