Confession Made Easy

Greetings to my sisters and brothers in Christ!

Our Loving Holy Father desires for us above all that we let Him into our hearts and our lives, for His Love is immeasurable and He wants us to build a close relationship with Him and His Blessed Son, Our Savior Jesus Christ.

Most people know that God requires us to repent and confess our sins, and for this He will grace us with His Holy Forgiveness.  Only then are we free of sin and can build a close and abundant relationship with God, Our Holy Father.

It is this repentance and confession that stops many of us from taking that critically important step to allow God into our hearts.  Perhaps we are ashamed of our sins, or maybe we don't know how to repent or confess.  Maybe some think they can't confess the right way because they have been discouraged by the image of detailed confessions followed by agonizing penance fabled of Catholicism.

Well, be heartened to know that confession doesn't have to be painful or embarrassing, and even today's Catholics know that its not the words of a confession that matter, but rather the act in a true spirit in admitting to God our sins and seeking to repent, and to have God in our lives that is the key.

9 But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (1 John 1:9 NLV)

The simple process of confession is one of the best aspects of the Anglican and Episcopal Eucharist.  It is an overall statement of acknowledgment of our sins without detail, and a humble request for God's Mercy.  No skulking into a confessional, no embarrassing admissions, no guilt trips.  Just an honest statement of our desire to repent and seek God's Blessed Forgiveness.

Here is the Confession Prayer:

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor. 
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in Your Will, and walk in Your Ways, to the Glory of Your Name. Amen.

Here's an even shorter Confession Prayer (which I recite on my own):

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

The Celebrant (Bishop, Priest, Minister, Deacon or lay person)  then gives ascent for absolution** by saying a blessing such as:

The Almighty and merciful Lord grant you absolution and remission of all your sins, true repentance, amendment of life and the grace and consolation of His Holy Spirit.  Amen (Book of Common Prayer, 1789)

THAT'S IT!  Nuff' said!

Of course, we must mean what we say, and to make our very best effort to live as a loyal Child of God, with a true desire within our heart to follow Christ.

Now I know, following Christ will all our heart doesn't seem to be an easy task, but if you talk to God and ask Him to help you, He will.  He has given us instructions in the Bible, He has shown us an example in Christ, and He has a world of mentors available in His churches and fellowships to assist you.

Also, an added benefit to speaking your confession, and hearing the Celebrant's request to God for forgiveness, you will feel ~ relief, lightness, and joy!

This is God's Forgiveness!     Thanks be to God!

This elation will pave the way for your repentance, and just like any new skill, the more you practice, the easier it will come to you.  This is proof of God's Grace.  This is God loving us, and guiding us to become ever nearer a part of His Holy Kingdom.

So my beloved sisters and brothers in Christ, I beseech and encourage you to start and strengthen your relationship with God by confessing to let Him know that:

You want His forgiveness

You want Him in your heart, and that

You want Him in your life.

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16 NLV)

A simple prayer of confession given with a true and sincere heart is a sure way to create and fortify a Holy relationship with Our Holy Father.  That's a guarantee I can make with confidence.
 
(**Note:  I say "ascent for absolution" to clearly specify that the Celebrant is not the one who is forgiving you:  but is stating, as a trained intermediary to God, that you have confessed your sins, and is asking God to grace you with His Mercy and Forgiveness.)

May the Peace of the Lord be with You Always.
cwhp

God Spoke Again

I am The Lord Thy God

God spoke loud & clear this time.  

It was 24 hours later, exactly.  December 29, 2009 8:00 am.

Once again, I awakened, not by the sun flooding my eyelids, but by His Voice!

I sat bolt upright, my voice speechless, my mind chiming "I am here!"  I found my voice to Praise God in wonderment and excitement.

Alleluia. The Lord has shown forth His Glory!

A lyrical whisper passed through me ...I am I...I am

It has stayed with me since, it is a part of my breathing.  It has become a part of me, an innate core of my consciousness.

I am I...I am

Always in my awareness like a light on the edge of my field of vision.

It keeps my attention with a constancy I have known before as a mother ever vigilant in care of her child, ever listening for her child's cry.

As a woman ever tuned to her lover's voice.

This... is....Intimacy

Just as He promised - but not of my sight, nor my hearing.  It is deep within.  Of my very breath.

Breathe in...I am I   Breathe out...I am

Each morning I wake     Breathe in...I am I   Breathe out...I am
I workout on my gym     Breathe in...I am I   Breathe out...I am
I walk my treadmill        Breathe in...I am I   Breathe out...I am
As I fall asleep              Breathe in...I am I   Breathe out...I am 
   
Lord, open our lips.  And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever, Amen.

I have to admit that since then I have been quite startled and more than a little dismayed.  I should not be.  It is not really a surprise.

God has spoken to me before.

As an infant, angels took me flying down our staircase in my dreams and I lived in a bubble of pure love.  The first time I remember hearing His Voice was when I was age 12.

He said "I am your Father."

I understood and became aware of many things then, but mostly that we are all Children of God.  I bore an overwhelming love for my fellow man.  In contrast to this love, I also recognized the presence of evil.  I have suffered the knowledge of evil gaining a foothold on this earth.
I have known deep within my soul that the culmination of the battle between good and evil was coming.  I have despaired in the knowledge that this final conflict was fast approaching.

Discouragement rose as my concerns fell on apathetic ears.  Even faithful Christians, who joyfully seek Christ's return, have looked askance at me as being too dramatic.  "Trust in God," they would say, "don't worry.  Let go and let God."

My Father has graced me with the gifts of intellect and resourcefulness.  I relish in study and the systematic identification of a problem, and am relentless in my efforts to make corrections.  Am I being weak in my faith by seeking to raise awareness of imminent disasters?  I took many routes in seeking an outlet for my message.

I was 'Chicken Little', a social pariah.  Not exactly a happy life for a young woman.  I let go of my crusade, my compromise was to minister through example.  The pathways that led to this change, and the years since make up most of life.  I have had many trials and triumphs, and I have grown into a woman of wisdom and strength.

Maybe now because I am strong of spirit and courage, because my children have their own lives now.  Maybe now because I have nothing to distract me.

"Their's not to reason why, Their's but to do and die." (Tennyson, 1854)

Proverbs 29:25

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God Spoke

On Monday, December 28, 2009, 8:00 am Eastern Standard Time: 

God spoke to me.
It was not the first time, so I know it when I hear Him. He spoke to me clearly and regularly when I was very young, but although I have had known His Will and intuition as an adult, I have not heard His Voice very much since childhood; and had but a cursory relationship with Him over the last ten years.
Yet, it was God’s Voice that spoke to me on Monday and told me what I had to do. He compelled me to tell all, and since I’m pretty much a loner ~ I’m creating this blog. I hope I reach many, and hope that by putting this on the web it will be read by as many as possible. I am to share the truth I found with everyone, so here it is.
At 8:00 am Eastern Standard Time, in the very southeastern region of the US; the sun shone brightly through screen glass door and opened my eyes. I often sleep on the daybed in my living room, falling asleep watching tv. I often wake to the sunlight, living in Florida…but usually my eyes are already open. Usually the sun just is there when I sleepily crack open my eyes. I’ve been unemployed for a year. I live alone. My children are grown. I have no husband. I rarely have to wake up at any certain time. I’m enjoying the luxury of sleeping late whenever I please. It is another one of those pleasures that I secretly dreamed of when I had a hectic family life.
You get what you ask for. . . . . . I did.