Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” vs. 16
James 5:16-20
Because the world is good, and broken, the healing that comes with forgiveness will always be a central part of our life together. That’s why so many of our congregations will take time for confession of sins in each weekly worship service. It’s a moment, scarcely long enough, for believers to consider the brokenness of their lives, and then hear words of absolution. We might wish that living in Christ would eventually bring perfection to our lives, that we would one day be able to eliminate the brokenness and be the beautiful persons God has created us to be, but that’s not how life is–and we’re fools if we think otherwise. As long as we live we will be both good, and broken, and the sooner we figure this out, the better off we will be. It’s recognition of our brokenness that produces the deep humility that is one of the chief gifts of the Spirit. There’s just no room for arrogance among the people of God, and to deny our need for forgiveness is to deny the grace of God. Now it’s true that we might be uncomfortable doing as James suggests and confessing our sins to one another in a public ritual. That could be embarrassing! But sometimes we do know each other’s sins–and then there’s nothing better than to offer words of forgiveness, and hear prayers for healing.
Thought for the Day: Who knows my sins?
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