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Today I came across and article addressing a subject I have pondered on and off for awhile. It's on the subject of confessing our sins, or more correctly, why Catholics don't go to confession so much any more. I'm not Catholic (or catholic) so have never had the expectation put upon me to confess anything to anybody but God. However, I've often thought about the verses that mention confessing our sins to another person, and wondered why we don't do that, and what we might be missing if we don't.
Accountabilty groups seem to be one way that the Evangelical types manage to confess. Typically a group of guys or girls (doesn't seem to ever be a mixed group) will get together weekly and confess their sins and sometimes hand out consequences to one another. The idea is to have somebody who's not afraid to ask you how you're doing with managing your worst behaviors and tendencies.
I do wonder if, when forced to admit to another human being, our wrongdoings, we might be motivated to do better. Although we may believe that God sees and knows all, it seems that when we confess only to God, it is easy to keep our sins hidden, and to not feel real motivation to change. I wonder if, when forced to vocalize the sins we have committed, we are stripped of our pride and ashamed of our misdeeds, and perhaps we walk more humbly and more carefully.
Just some thoughts....what do you think? Is confession good for the soul? Do you attend any sort of formal confession through your church? Do you have someone that you tell your sins to? Do you feel that by only telling God your sins and asking for forgiveness that it is adequately motivational for you to go forth and sin no more?
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Confessing Our Sins
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11 comments:
Those are some thought provoking questions Dolly. I've always been intrigued by the things people share as prayer requests in a small group. It seems that everyone has an uncle,or a sister-in-law, or a mom's uncle's cousin-twice removed, that needs prayer for some illness or surgery. It is very rare that we open our mouths in refrence to our own sins and weaknesses. Imagine how God would move if we were praying for each other about the more "personal" requests.
I think in a way we "confess" on a daily basis with our friends when we vent/rant/share with them.
But overall, I find no real need to confess to anyone other than whatever being there might be. It's between me and "the big guy" so to speak. (And I've told the church that in so many words.) There's nothing the church can absolve me of, so why do it? (I don't really mean that to sound glib, but I think you know what I mean.) A lot of people don't know the difference between spirituality and religion. And many thing that church=religion. Not necessarily true. The church itself should not dictate our shoulds and should nots. That's again up to whatever entity you believe in.
I think that confessionals at churches are absurd. I do believe that we cannot have someone "intervene" for our sins, that's something that only Christ can do alone.
When the bible says that we need to confess our sins to one-another (what scripture is that again, I can't remember..) it must mean that we need to allow others to see our faults and not act "perfect".... I haven't studied that scripture enough to elaborate anymore on it though...
I do understand your point about accountability and how it's easier to keep our sins hidden when we don't share... Then there's something in the bible that talks about how we need to gently confront and guide people into the right direction, so that's something that would lead us to accountability
So, I sound like I"m rambling, but I definitely don't agree with confessing to someone that thinks they are interceding for me in front of God, Ill just go straight to the big Guy for that, thanks. ;0)
~B
Heth,
I know what you mean. To me it almost seems like it would not be ok to admit to deep needs for prayer on issues that are sinful. Like, if we told others what we are really like on the dark side, they would not be willing to be near us any more. It seems like relationships today are so tentative, that the risk of telling something unattractive about oneself could easily be the kiss of death in a relationship.
Goob,
Maybe for you venting works that way. For me, not so much. I do my share of venting, but usually it's to highlight someone else's sin...not mine. :)
Good and B,
Since I'm not Catholic, I don't know if going to confession means that you are trying to receive absolution from a person or that one would be seeking intervention. I think that the anonymity of it would be good for actually telling your worst stuff when real people in your life could not be told. What I am thinking of is more like the need to verbalize what we have done wrong. The need to remember all the wrong things we have done until we get to formally confess. The need to be very conscious of our sins, instead of just "Oops, there I go again! Sorry God!" or something like that.
I was thinking of how we discipline our children, or even how things go if we do wrong to another adult. The wronged party can respond to your request for forgiveness by saing, "I forgive you" but very often if we do not do something as restitution, or feel some sort of consequence, we can go on and on with a guilty conscience even though we have supposedly been forgiven. How many people have you ever known of that really can't grasp God's forgiveness or mercy? So many! Maybe confession is partly for us to have to do something hard and something humbling, so that we can feel the weight of our wrongdoing, and therefore also feel the weight of our forgiveness.
James 5:16 says "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
There are also verses in Matthew and Mark about believers confessing their sins to one another before getting baptized.
Interesting conversation! I hope more will join us.
This is huge, and of course I could write a whole essay on the subject. Don't have time right now, but I'll come back to it.
Just one quickie for now though: I used to be a "no confession" Christian, and now I belong to a Church that practices the sacrament of confession. So I have a personal "before" and "after" to compare in my own life.
In the Orthodox Chruch we don't confess TO the priest. We always confess to Christ in the PRESENCE of the priest, he acts as a witness. There is no anonymity. And his prayers of absolution are not HIM absolving me, but rather him stating (or reiterating) what Christ has already done. I stand there, in front of the icon of Christ confessing my sins and my priest stand beside me, also facing the icon.
It's sort of like going to the doctor. Might be unpleasant, but very healing on the deepest level. I'll say more later, but if I had to pick life without the sacrament of confession and life with the sacrament of confession, I have to say that WITH is better for me spiritually, for my growth as a Christian and for actually overcoming sin and not just forever spinning my wheels. (The thing about overcoming sin though, is that you just uncover more sin on a deeper level. Like in that Narnia book when Eustace had turned into a Dragon and was ripping the scales off. That's what it is like. Holy therapy.)
One thought to ponder: for the majority of the history of Christianity, all Christians went to confession.
As Orthodox, our participation in communion is dependant on going to confession on a regular basis. It all hangs together. Can't have one without the other.
I think I need to blog about this, and also talk about having a sacramental view of faith/life/etc. In order to elucidate more.
Clear as mud.
Speaking of which...I really do need to get to confession, and soon!
Alana,
Thank you for commenting! I truly hope you will come back to share more, or let me know if you do a big posting related to it on your blog. I am very interested in your perspective.
Some questions I have for you:
Why is confession a sacrament?
Are your confessions confidential? Would your priest speak to you about the issues you confess, other than praying?
it seems to me from the James 5:16 verse that vocal, person-to-person confession *should* be a part of the Christian life. I wonder why it has fallen out of practice so much. Do you have any theories on this?
How often do you typical attend confession? Do you remember every sin that you have committed since the last time you were there?
Do you have to be a member of the Orthodox church to do confession there? Does one have to be a Catholic to go to a Catholic confession? What modes of confession might be open to others? If there isn't much, I wonder how we might go about creating an atmosphere where confession is practical, sacred, and understood.
The more I think about this, the more interested I am in exploring this issue. For me, I don't feel that I have great enough remorse for my sins (I almost called them "wrongs"--see? I don't even want to call them what they are...), nor enough motivation to change, no accountability, and no guidance. Just me an my mind, going round and round......it isn't working for me.
I am a Christian,in as far as I believe in the teaching of Jesus,but confessing my sins is not a priority,after all He"knows all see's all"(or was that Santa?)so confessing is sort of mundane.I am true believer in unloading our baggage on someone,and if it woks for some to do that with a Priest,then that is the right thing,for them.
I recently unloaded a secret I was caring for 37 years,one that I never even realized had done me such harm,until I finally talked.
Confession really is good for the soul,but I do not think it is right only to tell God(if that is what you do)without telling someone who can hold an actual two way conversation with.When meand the Big Guy rab,it is usually a one way conversation.He is a good listener,and He does answer,but not always in a way we can understand.
I think you writing keeps improving,I will make a point to visit more often.Good night!
OK, I'm moving my answer over to my blog, so look for it there.
Hi Dolly,
I do go to Confession, but like Alana, it is to Jesus I confess and from Jesus I receive absolution. The priest acts in 'persona Christe'. I do think it is vitally important to confess my sins and my sorrow for those sins and realize how the things I do hurts Jesus. It is humbling to sit face to face and speak of the awful things I may have done. (And somewhat scary. Others do chose to confess behind a screen). It is healing to hear the absolution and never-ending love and mercy of Christ. There is a tremendous weight to both, as you mentioned.
Roman Catholic priests will give you a blessing, but not absolution if you're not not Catholic. I'm not even sure they'll listen to your sins -- just give you a blessing and send you on your way. I'm not sure, though.
As far as what the Bible says. Well, we can make the Bible say what we want, can't we? The ancient practice of confession is, as I just said, ancient. Even Martin Luther defended the practice in his writings. The further we get from classical Christianity the more we throw out things that make us uncomfortable. Even crosses are disappearing from some churches, and St. Pauls says he gloried only in the Cross of Christ. How sad (that they're disappearing from some churches that is).
I followed Alana here, I am also Orthodox but have a Catholic background.
Firstly, I think Confession rocks, I so need the chance to reguarly take stock of where I've messed up, where I need help and where I need to focus self-examination.
One difference between my Catholic experience and my Orthodox experience is that in Orthodoxy instead of facing the priest, he stands to the side of you and you face the icon of Christ. It is a neat way to remind you of *who* the Confession is in front of.
Anyway, I'm enjoying your blog!
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