Word from Father Tom…
In Holy Scripture, Confession always has a corporate dimension.

Ezra 10:9-12 Then all the people of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days; it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. All the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, ‘You have trespassed and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. Now make confession to the Lord the God of your ancestors, and do his will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.’ Then all the assembly answered loudly, ‘It is so; we must do as you have said’.

The people of Judah had returned from their time in captivity and had come to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. Having only been in the land briefly, they discovered many caught up in disobedience to the Lord. While in earlier verses, Ezra prays personally on behalf of all of the people; now it is the people themselves who gather in assembly. They confess that they have sinned, and later each tribe’s leader comes to engage in ceremonial confession before the priests of God on behalf of their people. When these tribal leaders leave, it is with a plan to rectify their disobedience and change their ways.

In the New Testament, when people came to John the Baptist for baptism and repentance, they did so individually yet in a communal context for all to see. This is in keeping with the type of repentance that the people of God would have expected. This same behavior continues in the book of Acts. Confession has a public dimension to it.

In England, before the Reformation, there had been some forms in the Medieval Sarum Rite that were used in confession and absolution and adapted for the General Confession of Sin in the Eucharistic Rites of the Book of Common Prayer. Both the Roman Catholic and the Anglican services of Holy Communion assume that the Mass was (and is) for communal confession.

James 5:13-16 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.

While this scripture further communicates the importance of communal forgiveness, it also shows that there are specific instances in the lives of believers where certain kinds of grace are necessary. Sometimes, we need to confess our sins to others to better receive and understand the absolute forgiveness that Jesus has accomplished on our behalf. We need to embrace that there are times when our struggle with sin is making us sick – spiritually, emotionally, and even physically- and we need the healing and forgiving touch of the Saviour through those called to represent the Lord Jesus Christ in more Spirit-empowered ways.

Next week we will look more closely at the Rite of Reconciliation or the Sacrament of Confession.

Fr. Tom

Upcoming Schedule

Worship

Adult Christian Ed Class Sunday, 9 AM.

Wednesday, 5:00 PM, New Member/Confirmation Inquiry Class