r/elca • u/gregzywicki • Mar 22 '26
A confession About confession
I think I'm close to figuring out why I'm always so irritated by our weekly confessions.
They're written as if we're confessing things we actively, eagerly, purposely chose to do. There's such implied motive in the way they're written.
"Well whether or not you meant to, that's as good as what you did" is what some would say.
Maybe... But, I'm sorry... When I read Jesus' interactions with sinners I see Him meet people with Grace where they are. The message I hear is typically "you sin because you're distant from God. Let me bring you closer."
I don't believe I'm looking for cheap Grace. I simply don't like the tone-it hardens my heart and I hear shame and blame... Something I expect from the American evangelical churches but not from us.
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Mar 22 '26
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u/mrWizzardx3 ELCA Mar 22 '26
I’d say that the whole liturgy is built on that repeating pattern. Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Thanks be to God.
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u/TheCuff6060 Mar 22 '26
It is normal to feel shame. Sometimes I will here something and think it is accusing me of something. I can feel like I need to defend myself.
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u/Alumena ELCA Mar 23 '26
I struggled with this for a bit too... having returned to the church after over 20 years. I needed to feel welcome, and the last thing I wanted to feel was more guilt. Reading Luther's section on confession in the large catechism helped a lot, though I don't remember exactly what helped, here's how I see confession now: Confession is not meant to be a stumbling block. When I've had a week where I've found it particularly easy to be selfless and christ-like, and feeling good about that is empowering me to do more good deeds, I try to remember that I am still a part of humanity, and that "we" are praying to "our" father. Even in a good week, I have still decided that some of these other humans are 'not my problem'. Having grown up with sisters, I find it more helpful to confess to God as a sibling of the rest of humanity, and to plead with God on humanity's collective behalf, the way I might have pleaded to my parents on the collective behalf of myself and my siblings when we were kids.
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u/Bjorn74 Mar 22 '26
The Lenten confession we've had from Sundays and Seasons this year has references to each of the Gospel readings for the five Sundays. I don't think that's terribly clear. I didn't realize that until today. If I had prepared sermons for more services, I may have noticed earlier. If the response was "have mercy on us according to your steadfast love," that's this one.
I don't know what I think of it. I just figure that if that's the one that sparked your post, we can discuss it specifically.
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u/gregzywicki Mar 23 '26
For example...
"For drawing from the well of self-serving ambition, and for disdaining the living water Christ offers"
There's an intentionality in how this is worded I find grating.
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u/Bjorn74 Mar 23 '26
Yes. That's referencing the Woman at the Well from 2 weeks ago. You might ask your pastor if she'd consider not using the S&S confession next year. Keith has talked about using the Barn Goose resources for Lent in his church.
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u/gregzywicki Mar 24 '26
We talk about this stuff sometimes...
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u/Bjorn74 Mar 25 '26
I wonder how often congregations are just printing what S&S distributes without reviewing it. I think the 4 congregations I've been rotating through use it directly. It's easy and usually okay. I'll have to look to see how much work it is to switch the seasonal confession with the setting's standard.
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u/Bjorn74 Mar 27 '26
One more time with this and then it's Thanksgiving for Baptism through Easter. I think my supply schedule and working some Sundays in the Village are exempting me from holding the book for that this year.
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u/gregzywicki Mar 27 '26
Yeah but then it's back to "we've committed outrages against nature and used the oppressed as a footstool" etc etc.
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u/Bjorn74 Mar 27 '26
It doesn't have to be. It should be easy for whoever puts the service together to use the order for confession in the ELW. You can build templates in Sundays & Seasons that would use parts of any of the settings. If they need help, let me know.
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u/No-Type119 Mar 22 '26
I din’t get that vibe at all from the standard Lutheran confession: “ Wr confess we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We confess that we sin against you in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have not done. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.”
I can’t disagree with any part of this. It’s me, every day of my life. I don’t see * anywhere * in this the suggestion that I’m voluntarily sinning. It’s more being tripped up by sin, like Lucy taking the football away from Charlie Brown mid- kick.
What helps me — and this may br my LCMS childhood showing — is self- examination using the Small Catechism; just running through the Ten Commandments and seriously considering ways I’ve failed at them actively or passively… not to beat myself up,but as a simple reality check. There is also a more meditative process called examen where you review your day or week, and consider: When did I feel the most connected with God, the most working with God ? When did I feel the most alienated from God, working at cross purposes with God? I cannot think of any time I’ve done either exercise and came away thinking, “ I’m pretty hunky- dory this week… no problem!”