My grandpa used to say if you can’t sleep at night it is probably because you have a guilty conscience. Maybe the two aren’t related but I do have to admit that a couple weeks ago I had something on my mind, something I needed to ask forgiveness for, and couldn’t sleep until I apologized. Ask anyone who knows me well and they will tell you I have a habit of asking forgiveness early and often. Honestly, my penchant for penance seems to rub a lot of my Evangelical friends the wrong way.
However, I have found my Catholic and Catholic-Lite (Lutheran, Presbyterian, Anglican, Episcopalian, etc.) friends are quite comfortable with the idea of confession, and forgiveness. The Catholics have the Sacrament of Penance as a way of dealing with guilt through the steps of contrition, confession, absolution, and penance. Of course the Catholic-Lite’s all have the Confession of Sins as a part of the Communion ceremony and occasionally at other times during the year. The Lutheran church my best friend grew up in practiced a corporate confession of sins at the beginning of every service.
All institutional religions are made up of three simple elements; creed(belief system), code(moral law), and cult(rituals). The Catholic’s have a ritual whereby it is easy to understand and practice confession. Having grown up in Evangelical and Charismatic churches it is painfully obvious there is no official corporate or even individual ritual for confession. The argument some may give is, “Private confession before the Lord is all that matters anyway”. But does it really happen that way? When is the last time you got down on your knees and asked the Lord of all Creation to forgive you for how you personally have not kept His Law of Love?
What I am getting at is simple… confession is very important and needs to be taught as well as practiced, and that includes confession to other humans. I am not by any means saying we need to lionize our sins and share every detail. What I am saying is go ahead and confess, you need to, you are a sinner and God has more than enough Grace and Patience for all of us. If you attend a church where there is already a ritual for confession and you haven’t been clearing your conscience occasionally, now is a good time to start. If your church does not have a ritual for confession, start taking time to confess at your small group or at the very least with your spouse and friends. I think we all need to be reminded from time to time,
“Jesus Christ came save sinners of whom I am the worst”.
You know why each of us individually are simultaneously the “worst sinners”? Because we have everything we need inside of us to keep God’s commands, a free will, and yet we transgress in order to put forward our will anyway. How do I plead? Guilty as charged and so I cling to this verse
Proverbs 28:13, “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
Confession
My grandpa used to say if you can’t sleep at night it is probably because you have a guilty conscience. Maybe the two aren’t related but I do have to admit that a couple weeks ago I had something on my mind, something I needed to ask forgiveness for, and couldn’t sleep until I apologized. Ask anyone who knows me well and they will tell you I have a habit of asking forgiveness early and often. Honestly, my penchant for penance seems to rub a lot of my Evangelical friends the wrong way.
However, I have found my Catholic and Catholic-Lite (Lutheran, Presbyterian, Anglican, Episcopalian, etc.) friends are quite comfortable with the idea of confession, and forgiveness. The Catholics have the Sacrament of Penance as a way of dealing with guilt through the steps of contrition, confession, absolution, and penance. Of course the Catholic-Lite’s all have the Confession of Sins as a part of the Communion ceremony and occasionally at other times during the year. The Lutheran church my best friend grew up in practiced a corporate confession of sins at the beginning of every service.
All institutional religions are made up of three simple elements; creed(belief system), code(moral law), and cult(rituals). The Catholic’s have a ritual whereby it is easy to understand and practice confession. Having grown up in Evangelical and Charismatic churches it is painfully obvious there is no official corporate or even individual ritual for confession. The argument some may give is, “Private confession before the Lord is all that matters anyway”. But does it really happen that way? When is the last time you got down on your knees and asked the Lord of all Creation to forgive you for how you personally have not kept His Law of Love?
What I am getting at is simple… confession is very important and needs to be taught as well as practiced, and that includes confession to other humans. I am not by any means saying we need to lionize our sins and share every detail. What I am saying is go ahead and confess, you need to, you are a sinner and God has more than enough Grace and Patience for all of us. If you attend a church where there is already a ritual for confession and you haven’t been clearing your conscience occasionally, now is a good time to start. If your church does not have a ritual for confession, start taking time to confess at your small group or at the very least with your spouse and friends. I think we all need to be reminded from time to time,
You know why each of us individually are simultaneously the “worst sinners”? Because we have everything we need inside of us to keep God’s commands, a free will, and yet we transgress in order to put forward our will anyway. How do I plead? Guilty as charged and so I cling to this verse