“Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; 
Lord, hear my voice. 
Let your ears be attentive 
    to my cry for mercy. 
If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, 
    Lord, who could stand? 
But with you there is forgiveness, 
    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.“

Psalm 130:1-4

 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin…If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.                                                                 

1 John 1:6,7,9 

 

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September 1, 2025

This week’s element of liturgy is confession. I grew up in a faith tradition that formalized confession to clergy. Although I now understand that clergy presence is not necessary for confession, I remember the feeling I had as a child after these formal confessions: a feeling of peace, having a “clean slate,” having no secrets from God. Perhaps, though imperfect, this practice was a representation of walking in the light. 

 What is confession? Simply admitting we’ve violated God’s law and have chosen our own will over God’s. Our sin has grave consequences and must be dealt with. Scripture calls us to confession and repentance—a desire to change course, to forsake our sins. 

 A sermon illustration from my first year at WBC has remained with me for 36+ years. The pastor told a story from his courtship with his wife. He described how they had taken a long walk after dark, walking from a well-lit city heading towards the countryside. At some point, a car drove past and splashed puddle water on them. They laughed it off and assessed that they hadn’t gotten very dirty at all. But as they made their way back, coming into more and more into the light of the city, they began to see that wasn’t true. The closer they got to the light, the more their true condition was revealed. Turns out that splash brought a lot of dirt onto them after all! 

 Did they become dirtier as they came closer to the light? No. The light allowed them to recognize their true condition and take steps to be clean.  

Confession is one element of walking in the light of God’s truth; as He reveals, we should quickly confess. We can’t have fellowship without walking in the light. We can’t walk in the light without confessing our sin and calling to God for His mercy to cleanse us. 

 Questions for Reflection and Discussion:  

  • Have you experienced the cleansing and peace that comes as you draw near to God in confession? 
  • Is God “shining light” on your own sinful tendencies? Don’t be discouraged, in fact it’s not a bad thing. We can’t confess and repent of what we don’t see. It’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance! 

Church Reading Plan: 1 Samuel 25; 1 Corinthians 6