Confession Making a Comeback

[catholic_heart]

Such an odd story to find in the Wall Street Journal, of all places, but this is very interestingWhat are your folks thoughts on confessing sins to another? It is clearly commended in Scripture, James 5:16, as a healing rite. This passage in particular, as well as the authority given by Christ to the Apostles to forgive sins and hold them bound,

Comments

[catholic_heart]

I agree, I feel so liberated after confession. I tend to be very open about my life anyway, because I figure people can always learn from my mistakes, but I do like the vowed privacy of a priestly confessional, just for some of those more embarrassing sins.

[uberreiniger]

As I say in my comment below, the notion of confession as Catholics practice it seems very weird to me, but that's probably more my upbringing causing that reaction than anything else. I definately can attest personally that your secrets do keep you sick. Sometimes sharing them is the proverbial lifting of a burden you never knew you had. I don't believe every sin requires pouring your heart out to someone. There are a lot of sins in our hearts that no one knows but us and God and sometimes God is the only one we need to talk to about them in order to be healed. But the sins in our lives that affect others, or have been caused by our reaction to others actions against us, those are the ones I find don't heal until I talk to someone about them.

[cmaried]

I consult with Christian friends, leaders, etc, and we discuss our weak areas and sometimes pray for each other. But Confession? It's a good idea, but not for me.

[catholic_heart]

What of the James 5:16 verse, though? I know it's not fair to isolate verses like this, I'm just curious on people's take on that...

[cmaried]

What can I say? Christians are supposed to confess their sins to each other, and pray together. James also recommends that the sick should have the elders of the church anoint their heads with oil and pray over them.[5:14]

I'm glad Catholics and Protestants alike are putting more emphasis on confession. I think that in general, people are more open to talk about matters which used to be very "hush! hush!" topics.
The article provides a link to this website for online confession: http://www.ivescrewedup.com.

[catholic_heart]

That web site is certainly fascinating. I remember reading another story a while back, I don't remember all the details, but it was something like that, where I think there was a confession box set up in a public place, and people would anonymously write their deepest secrets, some funny, some really really disturbing but sincere, and place them in the box. I don't remember the details of the story, but it was really neat.

[draven5]

It can be quite a frightening idea at times. Always fearful of what the other will think. Of course we are not to judge but come alonside and help to carry our brother/sister's burden but we are fallible human beings at the same time.

I've never personally confessed to another in a specific way. I have been tempted several times to go to a Catholic confessional though to confess, but I have never done it. I sometimes wonder at my motivations for doing so. I sometimes wonder if I think of doing so in order to be repentant or to try and show outwardly my religiosity.

Actually right now, I'm going through a hard time concerning the notion of repentance and confession.

[catholic_heart]

Even if you're not Catholic, you can still go to a Catholic confession. The good thing is that priest will never utter your sins to anyone ever. That is perhaps the most sacred vow which a priest takes. And in the past few decades priests have become very adept at offering really meaningful and sincere spiritual guidance in the confessional. That won't be your experience every time, and I've not always come away from confession with the kind of guidance I was looking for (though it's never been bad advice), but most times the guidance is deeply personal and spiritual and very intuitive. In all Catholic confessionals that I am aware of, you have the option of face to face confession, where you can really personally engage the priest, or confessing behind a veil, if that will help you to be more open and honest

[michechick83]

"Even if you're not Catholic, you can still go to a Catholic confession." Thanks, that answers a question I've had. Confession is one of the things that has drawn me to Catholicism. Part of me does feel apprehensive about it, so I don't know that I'm ready yet.

And to answer your original question, I absolutely believe in confessing our sins to another. My problem is, I have no friends whom I feel I can really trust at this time. And my current Protestant pastor is not an option. Thank God, I still see my Christian marriage counselor, so she's my only one for now.

[mintogrubb]

I cane here to read what others had said on the subject, Michael.
it somehow did not seem surprising that you had also written on the subject.

As a Protestant, I can see that the Bible says 'confess your sins to one another'. Yet this is fraught with problems. is the other person someone who knows you well enough to give good advice? Do they know their Bible well enough to share Christ and His love with the one who has confessed? will they treat it in confidence?

It seems to me that the Catholic tradition is an attempt to address these issues. For me, it's about going to a Christian whom I respect for their own walk with God. being open with them as a means to opening up to god in my own life, if that makes any sense.

for me, as I said in my own OP on the subject, there are people on this community that I regard as mature Christians who help me every bit as much as my own elders at my own church.

[pastorlenny]

We encourage ongoing confession in several ways. One is regular pastoral meetings that cover a lot of territory, but confession is welcome. My understanding is that confession is meant to occur in the context of a relationship -- and that this provides the exposure of the fault and the ongoing accountability that simply dumping verbally on someone who you don't know and doesn't know you cannot. We also promote personal relationships within the body so that people have friends they can talk to and trust. Sometimes, after I preach for a while, we will actually breakup into pairs as led by the Holy Spirit (men with men, women with women) and have a time of one-on-one sharing and prayer right there in the service. This is part of our overall emphasis on empowering everyone to step into the ministry of reconciliation

[chaeri]

This is one reason I am so big on 12-step groups.

have you heard of Celebrate Recovery?

[pastorlenny]

Celebrate Recovery, Overcomers Anonymous, and More Excellent Way are among some of the groups that Christians have created in an attempt to replicate the 12-step thing and somehow make it more "kosher" by basically using the Bible instead of AA/NA literature and doing away with the "Higher Power" terminology in favor of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I appreciate the intent of these movements and have been involved in several of them. My general view of them is somewhat iffy for a variety of reasons that I don't have time to go into at the moment. Let's just say that if I have diabetes, I don't insist that my doctor be a Christian. I need him or her to be a good doctor. Addiction is a disease (albeit with a spiritual component). I'd rather send someone in need of recovery into a room with 25 pre-Christian alcoholics with a cumulative total of 180 years of solid sobriety among them and strong working knowledge of all 12 steps than I would a room with four sponsorless Christians who are doctrinally strong but experientially weak

[chaeri]

hm, have you ever been to a few weeks of meetings of any of those groups?

those are some pretty strong statements. CR has brought our church alive, saved my parents marriage, my relationship with them, and my relationship with my brother as well as my relationship with God.

CR is what the church ought to be - as soon as you walk in you know that you will be accepted no matter what because, well, everyone else is there for some reason. if someone were to say "so why are YOU here" you can come back with that exact phrase.

i think its a bit judgmental to write off all those groups, especially if you haven't been to at least a month of meetings of each.

before anyone says anything about how its God that saves: God works through people, groups to bring his salvation.

[rogueblack]

I'm a big fan.
And I love opportunities to use my Stephen Colbert confession icon. Thank you.

[catholic_heart]

It's my understanding that Colbert actually teaches CCD. How awesome is that?!