Confession Reminds Us

Confession reminds us that none of us gather for worship because we are “pretty good people.” But we are new people, people marked by grace in spite of ourselves because of the work of Christ. Our communal practice of confession reminds us that failure in the Christian life is the norm. We—each and all—take part in gathered worship as unworthy people who, left on our own, deserve God’s condemnation. But we are not left on our own… Once a close friend visited my church, and she was concerned by this part of our service. She didn’t like that the priest pronounced absolution. She asked, “Don’t…