Confession - November 13
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 80; PM Psalm 77, [79]; Neh. 9:1-15(16-25); Rev. 18:1-8; Matt. 15:1-20
“Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads.” This opening line from our passage from Nehemiah this morning is a more regular occurrence than you might believe. Jacob tore his clothes and put on sackcloth. So did David and Job and the elders of Zion (Lamentations). We read about it in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and even in Matthew (11:21) and Luke (10:13). It’s a profound way of both repenting and lamenting loss. It’s a way of submitting and humbling oneself.
In the Book of Jonah (3:5-9) even the animals are required to fast and put on sackcloth when the king of Nineveh arises from his throne to do the same. As I read the text for this morning, I’m struck at what was such normative behavior now feels completely lost.
We are one year from a presidential election, and I suspect many of us are not looking forward to a year of scapegoating and blaming the other for the problems of our time. Where is the humility, where is the repentance?
Two weekends ago, I was one of the spiritual directors at Happening, a youth weekend modeled after Cursillo for young people in tenth through twelfth grade. The weekend is filled with talks about faith and includes much of what our church teaches around sacraments, grace, and even confession. Young people had an opportunity to participate in the rite of reconciliation, where one could confess to a priest and receive absolution. One of my colleagues beautifully referred to this rite as a sacred gift. I couldn’t agree more as there is a power of naming those things we have done and not letting the shame, guilt, or despair corrupt and destroy us from the inside out.
When the penitent is finished with confession, the priest offers absolution and then leaves with the reminder for the penitent to also pray for the priest who is a sinner too. We aren’t perfect people. We make mistakes, and worse, sometimes we do the wrong thing. We are human after all. And yet God still loves us anyway.
Maybe as we hit this season where everyone is vying to persuade us of their vision for leadership and governance, we should remember our Christian ethic of humility and repentance. At the very least, it’s a lot easier than putting on sackcloth and sitting in ashes or putting dust on our heads.
Faithfully,
John+
Daily Challenge: Consider making an appointment with one of your clergy for the Rite of Reconciliation. To learn more, you can more on page 447 of your Book of Common Prayer or click here.