Confessions about Confession
In the attempt to make a statement about the relationship we have to God through Jesus, Protestants went too far in eliminating a formal opportunity for confession to occur within the community of the church. As the pendulum was swinging as a result of the Protestant Reformation, it went too far in eliminating the confessional from our churches and leaving the confessing of sin to a private and personal segment of our faith. I am convinced that the Catholic faith has held onto a very important practice that we, as Protestants, could learn from.
As we confess our sin one-to-another we realize the fallenness that we share with one another and the common nature of humanity. We are also able to exhort and encourage one another as we remind one another of God's call to repentance and His forgiveness that is freely offered by grace.
Of course the common objection to this is that there is no intercessor between God and man except for Jesus Christ. I wholeheartedly agree. This does not neglect the need for us to be known by others, even in our fallenness, within community. I am not saying that we confess our sins one-to-another that the person who we confess to would forgive our sins and purify us. On the contrary, we confess our sins one to another as we submit them to God and repent before Him. True repentance involves a turning to God in faith and receiving His grace freely that we may live the life He intended for us in Jesus. The person we confess to is not acting as God in forgiving our sins but rather they are able to speak God's truth to us and remind us not only of our sin but of God's righteousness and faithfulness to forgive us.
Here is a confession to you, my blogging community: I fail miserably at this. I keep my wretchedness and subsequent confessions to the most private part of my life. As I attempt to grow closer to those within community I continue to allow others to know everything except this wretchedness and my confessions before God. In this way, I have become a sort of "lone ranger" confessor before God.
As I live the Christian story and participate in Christ's ministry of reconciliation, I long to do this in community. Part of living in community is being known by others and I am convinced one things I am still working on is being known by others as I repent before God. Repentance can occur in an individual setting but something special happens when we confess our sins one-to-another.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. - James 5:16