I don’t get out much.
That is, I’m a church pastor and so I don’t get to visit lots of churches that frequently. So when I had a sabbatical a couple of years ago, I took the opportunity to attend a number of different churches. There was lots that I loved and I learned from in other churches but I also realised that having a time of corporate confession in church had become a rarity. I think this is unhealthy.
Confession is inherent to the Christian life. We approach the Lord as sinners who are loved and forgiven as his children. That’s who we are. If we neglect either, our Christian life is going to get distorted pretty quickly and so we want to remember both when we gather as church. Here are some reasons why having a corporate confession matters:
IT IS WORSHIP THAT THE LORD DELIGHTS IN
“These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2)
Every church is going to say that it worships God when it gathers. Yet one thing that honours the Lord and worships Him rightly is humble confession; a contrite spirit. He looks in favour upon those who come before Him and say “We’re truly sorry and repentant.” Why would we ignore something that the Lord looks on with favour?
IT IS THE SHAPE OF CHRISTIAN LIVING
The whole Christian life is one of repentance and faith. Repentance should deepen our delight in the gospel. Without it, our thanks for the cross is a vague pleasure in someone being kind to us. With repentant confession we are acknowledging our deep need.
Confession also allows us to be honest and real with ourselves and one another. We don’t have to pretend that we’re good people. We can admit that we’ve done all sorts of things wrong that week, which means that we only approach the Lord through the forgiveness won by Christ.
So we should come to confession with both regret and relief. A deep regret at how we’ve failed our heavenly father but a wonderful relief that he still loves us. I’m conscious that for some believers, Sunday really is where they meet with God. There may not have a daily time of devotion and limp through with a perfunctory prayer life. So, it’s essential that we help these people live an authentic Christian life. That means confession and then words of gospel assurance.
There’s a sense in which we always live at the foot of the cross – conscious of our sin but praising our saviour.
IT PREVENTS SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS
Corporate confession is a great leveller. It’s something every person in church does and so we’re declaring that all of us have fallen short of the glory of God and all of us need to come for forgiveness. A corporate confession prevents our “inner Pharisee” from looking around the room and saying: “God I thank you that I’m not like…” The corporate confession is a reminder that we need to be gracious to one another. Some of us hide our sin pretty well. But we all still have it.
THE BIBLE MODELS IT
There are some obvious moments in the Bible when the people of God gather and express their collective guilt:
“The Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads…They stood in their places and confessed their sins.”
(Nehemiah 9 v 1)
Then there a number of Psalms which are personal confession and yet they’ve been turned into corporate songs to be sung when believers gather:
“For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” (Psalm 51 v 1-2)
“You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you.” (Psalm 69 v 5)
You have to cut out a lot of Psalms to avoid corporate confession!
Before finishing, let me address two of the most common comments people make:
It shouldn’t be gloomy. It should be reality.
A confession should always be followed with words of assurance. In our church we often follow the confession and assurance with a song focussing upon the cross and our forgiveness.
It’s healthy Christian living to have a corporate confession and then words of gospel assurance. Using some well written ones from the past is good for us!
Confessions from the Puritan prayers from The Valley of Vision have startling language which makes us pause and think.
And don’t forget the Bible! It’s natural to use sections of penitential psalms like Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 or 143.
And finally, the prayer of confession in The Book of Common Prayer.
ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father;
We have erred, and strayed from your ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.
We have offended against your holy laws.
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done;
And we have done those things which we ought not to have do;
And there is no health in us.
But you O Lord have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.
You spare those, O God, who confess their faults.
You restore those who are penitent;
According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake;
That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
To the glory of your holy Name.
AMEN
ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all those who, with hearty repentance and true faith, turn unto him;
Have mercy upon you; pardon and deliver you from all your sins; confirm and strengthen you in all goodness; and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
AMEN