Most Sundays we gather for worship and Holy Communion using well-worn and familiar words to declare our shared shortcomings: “We have sinned against [God] in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone…” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 95).
Rooted in the promises of baptism, we boldly confess before God, in community with others who are also burdened by hidden mistakes and sins. We hear the presiding minister proclaim God’s mercy. We receive forgiveness again and again. Together, with the body of Christ, our burdens lift. We are free to worship with the joy of grace-filled hearts.
Together, as the body of Christ, we are named sinners in need of grace, and we are held accountable to our personal sins and community conflicts. Together we face our brokenness with courage born of the gift of faith. At times when my own heart feels shattered or my own lips falter, I borrow courage of faith from those standing next to me, speaking the confession with me, with all of us.
This message is excerpted from “Most merciful God” by Jennifer Phelps Ollikainen in the September 2018 Gather magazine.
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