An Opportunity to Come Clean
“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.”
BCP, p.79
Each morning, I begin my day with “Morning Prayer II” found on page 75 of The Book of Common Prayer. 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 an opportunity to come clean. Through confession, it allows God to hit “delete” when it comes to those things that separate us from His love.
Therefore, preparing our hearts and our minds to worship God is essential. The confessional gives us a chance to begin again—to reboot our lives, to open ourselves up to receive God and His forgiveness. This is the ultimate form of grace. It is out of this gift 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’ve 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 itself begins as it was intended: together as one in heart, body and mind.
A Collect for Grace
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with our mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BCP, p.100
