April 17, 2016 – James 5:16 — This speaker this morning is Jim Calhoun

The Gift of Confession

The human situation — Trauma

Coping and thriving

A contemplative community
The place of spiritual practice
Quiet sitting – prayerful reading
Confession is a spiritual practice that cultivates wholeness
Confession is a spiritual practice that increases our capacity to love

As we begin, we want to be careful with each other.
We want to be careful that we don’t trigger our stress or anxiety

Confession is a gift we have been given to heal our brokenness and heal our relationships

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. James 5:16

The Form of Confession We Will Follow This Morning
A Morning Prayer from The Book of Common Prayer

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.

THE GIFT OF CONFESSION IS BECOMING WHOLE

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

In English the word confess almost always carries the connotation of shame and reluctance.
But the Greek word is different.
It means to acknowledge openly and joyfully.
How is that possible?

The other word that can give us difficulty is sins.
Unless we practice and are disciplined the word sin will make us flinch a little each time we hear it.
We tend to think of sins in terms of intentional rebellion,
of being mean-spirited toward God,
or of something dirty or unspeakable.
And, of course, sometimes it is and then confession is a gift to heal that.
But the more common meaning of this word is missing the mark,
to be mistaken,
to wander from the path of right relationships.
And confession is a gift to heal that.

Take a moment to silently, openly, joyfully acknowledge to God that you have been mistaken in some effort to cope and thrive, that you have
wandered from the path of right relationships in your thoughts or in something you have said or in something you have done. Do so knowing God
longs to bring you wholeness and healing

BY WHAT WE HAVE DONE, AND BY WHAT WE HAVE LEFT UNDONE

Now we can allow ourselves to examine our thoughts and words and actions a little more carefully.
In this way we can see more specifically how we have been mistaken or wandered off the path of right relationships.

Take a moment to look at what you have done or have left undone in your effort to cope or thrive. Do you see a pattern? What is it that God could heal and bring you wholeness?

WE HAVE NOT LOVED YOU WITH OUR WHOLE HEART;
WE HAVE NOT LOVED OUR NEIGHBORS AS OURSELVES.

This is a reminder that we are not struggling to comply with a set of arbitrary rules imposed upon us,
but we seek to cope and thrive and become whole through loving.

Take a moment to consider how the absence or incompleteness of your, or a disordered love has caused you to wander from the path of right relationships as you have tried to cope and thrive

WE ARE TRULY SORRY AND WE HUMBLY REPENT.
HAVE MERCY ON US AND FORGIVE US

For confession to become a helpful spiritual practice we must pay attention here.
First to be truly sorry isn’t the same as emotionally distraught.
It isn’t the same as calling ourselves worthless.
On the other hand it does entail a measure of regret and remorse.
There are some who have no regret or remorse.
There are some who resist the need for regret or remorse.
There are some who are overwhelmed by regret and remorse.
The key is humility.
Mostly we get humility wrong.
We are apt to see it as a crushing of our vanity, as a humiliation.

C. S. Lewis: “Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call ‘humble’ nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.”

It is not our humiliation we are seeking.
It is an honest accurate appreciation of who we truly are.
Neither too high not too low.
Mostly, we allow ourselves to no longer occupy the center of the universe.

Take a moment and look at how you have wandered from the path of right
relationships. Notice any regret or remorse. Joyfully, openly tell God of your
regret and remorse knowing of Gods great love for you and desire to make
you whole.

THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL, AND WALK IN YOUR WAYS,

Now we are full of joy as we continue to cope and thrive,
aiming for a life full of love and loving
Returning to the path of right relationships

Take a moment and look at the path ahead, it may be challenging at first, but your next step or two (as far ahead as you are likely able to see) are marked by God’s kindness and gentleness as you walk in God’s path.

TO THE GLORY OF YOUR NAME. AMEN

And now, gratitude.

Take a moment to thank God for his Love and healing.

THE GIFT OF CONFESSION IS WHOLENESS

God in such great love for us desires that we are able to keep on the path of right relationships.
In that way our lives will be full, joyous, abundant.
We will be spiritual in the deepest way.
We will decrease the amount of pain and suffering in the world.
We will add to the love and peace and wholeness in our world.

Let me offer my paraphrase of 1 John 1:9
If we openly and joyfully acknowledge our mistakes and how we have wandered from the path of right relationships, God will continue to guide us on the path of right relationships and restore us, make us whole and bring us back on the path of love and loving.