“Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah” Psalm 32:5
Have you ever buried a regret or secret so deep into your psyche that it almost takes on a life of its own? A white lie you told your spouse in order to keep the peace now feels like a chasm of regret. That “joke” you told your friends in ninth grade at the expense of your classmate with terrible acne; the classmate you didn’t see standing right near you until you were all done laughing. Thirty years later, you still are filled with guilt for how badly you hurt him.
Have you then ever had the experience of confessing that regret aloud to a friend, a pastor, a therapist, or even to the person you hurt? While there is usually some restorative work that needs to be done to make the relationship right, the relief you also experience is incomparable. Like you just put down a heavy chain around your neck. Confession also puts the gravity of sin in its proper place. It was hurtful to you and another, but you can’t believe you worked so hard at hiding it all this time. Confession teaches you are a beloved person who sins, not an ugly sinner underserving of love. You see that even when you do something that defies your values that it doesn’t diminish your value or the love others have for you. In some cases, your confession might even enable others to love you more deeply.
Lent this year will be an exploration of taking what is hidden, both personally and communally, and bringing it into the light. Introspection is hard and vulnerable but the fruits in learning just how deeply we are loved and the revelation of just how much disconnection we have tolerated in our relationships far outweigh the discomfort and fear associated with sharing. There will be different ways for our church community to practice introspection: Wednesday evening services, devotionals, and our Sunday worship. We will all get an opportunity to grow in our understanding of God’s abiding love, mercy, and reconciliation offered to us. Explore each of these opportunities in the following pages. Choose which best fits your personality and time constraints. Then, as the recovery idiom states, “Let go and let God.” – Pastor Beth
