Confession in Community
Confessing our sins doesn’t have to be so bitterly difficult, and should be a vital part of our life in Christian community.
My earliest understanding of “confession” came from the “Sacrament of Reconciliation” in the Roman Catholic Church. Once or twice a year, after I had my “first communion” I would line up with the other people of my parish and take my turn telling a priest my sins. I don’t remember much, but I know I generally confessed by category rather than in detail. The one time I tried to give more information was when I was seeking counsel during the confession. As I was explaining my problem I heard the priest on the other side of the curtain chuckle. He offered no advice and only said his prepared words of pardon when I had finished. So much for that.
This may seem incredibly odd, but I tend to think that biblical confession fleshed out in our times would look something like a scene from “The Breakfast Club.”
Who hasn’t seen that movie? It’s the one where five teens are given weekend detention. In the beginning they just play out the roles they have on weekdays at school. The geek, the jock, etc. Over the course of the day the walls start coming down and they “get real.”
After a session of pot smoking the kids really start talking. The “rebel” had already revealed his troubled home life earlier, but now the jock, drama queen and basket case show their hearts and pain.
By the end of the day they affirm their school identities, but they’ve already shown one another (and themselves) that they are so much more. No guidance counselor or therapist was needed for the transformation the experienced that day. It was an unburdening for them all. That’s what confession in community should be.
In church a lot of the time people try to put on their best face. Their “church face.” This only masks hidden hurts, confusion and failings that would be best shared with trustworthy fellow followers of Jesus.
Perhaps this sounds impossible. In many churches it may be. Yet most people find someone they talk to, sharing what bothers them and keeps them down. The scriptures call us to do better for one another. We need to hear each other, understand, and pray. Not perhaps the entire church, but groups within the congregation or just Christian friends. Again, it would make no sense to bare one’s soul to a gossip or someone who doesn’t share as openly.
Building the trust to do this should be a priority. God asks no less, and it’s essential to our well-being as the family of God.
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16 ESV)
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