March Spiritual Practice: Confession
“I'm slowly, stubbornly learning the simple practice of confession. Saying, ‘I spoke too quickly.’ Admitting, ‘I didn't consider that perspective.’ Acknowledging, ‘My understanding was partial.’ It's a paradox that confessing my sin leads, not to despair, but hopefulness.”
~Jen Pollock Michel
A traditional prayer of confession:
Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you,
In thought, word, and deed:
By what I have done,
And what I have left undone.
I have not loved you with my whole heart,
And I have not loved my neighbor as myself.
I am truly sorry and I humbly repent.
For the sake of your son Jesus Christ,
Have mercy on me
And forgive me;
So that I may delight in your will,
And walk in your ways,
To the glory of your name.
Amen.
There can be a great release and a hope that can be kindled when we own up to the fact that we are imperfect. That we will make mistakes. That we cause disconnection. AND YET - we are still GOOD and BELOVED. This is something I love about the prayer above. It acknowledges my sin AND YET also affirms, even assumes, God’s presence with me always. There is no turning away from me by God in this prayer. It’s as if God is right beside me saying, “I know, I know. And I love you.”
If that unshakable love is the starting point for our confession, then shame has no place in our souls. Confessing to God and to others the many ways we make mistakes and miss the mark become a powerful tool of self-awareness and connection, a bending toward God for mercy and reassurance that we are still valued and embraced. Our confession offers us a chance to name our darkness and disconnection, bringing it into the light that drains darkness’ power over us.
If the starting point of our confession is humility, then when the Accuser (one of Satan’s names in scripture) attacks we are not taken by surprise because we already know that even in our beloved state we can and do err. AND YET we know that we can turn to God with our mistakes and receive grace and forgiveness, not more accusations or shame. We are ready to turn to God for the connection we desperately need in these moments. We know God stands poised to reconnect with us and to reconnect us to each other.
For this month during Lent, let us practice confession together with this prayer and practice.
Recite the prayer above. Then spend time focusing on the lines that say:
“I have not loved you with my whole heart,
And I have not loved my neighbor as myself.”
Slowly think over a short time frame in your recent life - today, yesterday, maybe the past week. Is there a moment that comes to mind where the above lines ring true? Where do you see disconnects? Where might you have missed the mark of love and light and connection.
While keeping that moment in your mind’s eye, remind yourself that God is with you and is not turning away from you in the face of this failure to love. If we can remember this point of weakness AND YET remember that God is fully present in our awareness of it, we can experience a divine mending, a putting back together, a healing that creates a new connection with God and yourself through this incident.
With this next breath ask God to remember you, to be mindful of you, and to forgive your lack of connection. Pray to be reconnected to the divine in this time.
As the month progresses, you can focus on different lines in the prayer. See if there is a phrase that continues to stand out to you or a word you find yourself staying away from. Sit with God in these prayers and let their presence wash over you.
Kids’ Version
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
When in the morning light I wake,
Teach me the path of love to take.
As you think back on your day after praying this prayer, is there a way that you were loving today? Is there a way you didn’t follow the path of love? What might the path of love look like tomorrow? Pray the prayer again and fall asleep knowing that God will be with you as you try to follow the path of love tomorrow and that he loves us even in our moments where we didn’t get it quite right. God is so happy that you ask for his help; we never have to be alone in anything.