Confession
“Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of Almighty God our Heavenly Father, to set forth his praise, to hear his holy Word, and to ask, for ourselves and on behalf of others, those things that are necessary for our life and our salvation. And so that we may prepare ourselves in heart and mind to worship him, let us kneel in silence, and with penitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, that we may obtain forgiveness by his infinite goodness and mercy.”
“The Book of Common Prayer” (BCP) page 79
Each morning, I begin my day with ‘Morning Prayer II’ found on page 75 of the BCP. As you know, after the seasonal opening acclamation, we are invited to prepare our hearts and minds for the worship of God. This is a key starting place. Strategically located, the confessional reminds us that transparency with God is at the core of worship. It provides us with an opportunity to come clean. Through confession, it allows God to hit “delete” pertaining to the things that separate us from his love.
Therefore, preparing our hearts and minds is essential to worship God. The confessional gives us a chance to begin again, to reboot our lives, and to open ourselves up to receive God and His forgiveness. This is the ultimate form of grace. It is out of this gift that we are truly able to offer Him praise, hear what He has to say through his holy Word, and offer our prayers and supplications knowing He hears us and answers us.
What I have learned is that without daily confession, I am not prepared to face the day. I find myself distracted and unable to be present, thus my connection with God is lost. With confession, He frees me from the burden of guilt and shame and my relationship with Him is ultimately restored. The day begins as it was intended: together as one in heart, body and mind.
“Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.” (BCP page 80)
