Confession
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive
us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9, NIV
One of the most important things we do during Worship service is to acknowledge our shortcomings. Much like taking a shower to wash away the dirt that collects on our bodies, confession is a way of washing away the dirt that has collected in our hearts. This so-called “dirt” is the sin we commit that separates us from the love of God.
I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want is to be separated from my Creator. I love what Frederick Buechner says about confession, “To confess our sins to God is not to tell God anything God doesn’t already know. Until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you. When you confess them, they become the bridge.” Think about that for a moment. If sin is the abyss that separates us from God, confession of those sins becomes the actual bridge that reconnects us to Him. With our proclivity to sin, this daily act is essential if we want to grow and move forward in our relationship with God.
Each morning, as I begin my day, I start with Morning Prayer. Before engaging with the text, I go to a quiet place void of distractions. From that place, I allow the opening sentences to set my heart straight. Immediately, I’m led to confess my sins. In other words, I reveal to God those things that have separated me from Him. Some days are harder than others, but I do it to be able to “delight in His will, walk in His ways, to the glory of His name” (“The Book of Common Prayer,” Confession, pg. 79). I have found that by doing this, it not only prepares me for my worship, but it also opens me up to serve Him the rest of the day.
Truth be told, the act of confession is a two-way street according to 1 John. In this one verse, we see God’s end goal. You see, God hates division and separation. This is what sin does. God is “faithful and just” and allows us to come clean and in response, He “purifies (cleanses) us from all unrighteousness.”
This cleansing is His declaration of forgiveness and where once we were divided, division, if even for a moment, is no more. Confession allows us this day to begin again.
“…absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love
because of the way Jesus our Master has embraced us.”
Romans 8:39, The Message
