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Sunday, March 14^th

" Confess To The Lord"

Join Us This Sunday As Webb Road Seventies Lead the Worship Service

 

 March  14, 2010      " Confess To The Lord "

 Scripture Setting : Psalm 32  NRSV

Sin makes us miserable. Sin destroys. To acknowledge our sin to God and then to be forgiven brings relief from our misery. Psalm 32 celebrates the joy of forgiveness. This psalm has historically been used in a grouping of seven penitential psalms (Psalm 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143). These texts confess sinfulness and acknowledge shortcomings. It is reported that Augustine had the words of Psalm 32 written above his bed so these words would be the first thing he saw in the morning.

In ancient Israel it was very important to acknowledge and confess sin, as well as make restitution to injured parties. Without these steps, repentance was not possible. Transgression, sin, iniquity, deceit, and guilt are words used in this psalm to describe the heaviness of spirit associated with turning away from God. It is interesting to note the physical effects of the sin: “my body wasted away,” “your hand was heavy upon me,” “my strength was dried up” (vv. 3–4). It may be that the psalmist was aware of the need for sinners to tell their story and claim responsibility for wrongdoing—a therapeutic practice that continues today.

We can view this psalm as a prayer of thanksgiving. Structurally, the prayer includes testifying of a sinful condition that no longer exists, from which the psalmist has been delivered. Then, the prayer changes to address us (the audience) with an invitation to follow the practice of repentance, to bring about joy that is only experienced when God’s forgiveness is received. It is as though the psalmist is pleading with us not to make the same mistakes and learn from the experience: “Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle” (v. 9).

Sin is devastating, but this psalm celebrates the reality that confessed sin is a means of reconnecting with God. When we confess and turn toward God, the psalmist uses words like “happy,” “glad cries,” “steadfast love,” “be glad,” and “rejoice” to express the joy.

Often within Community of Christ worship, a time of confession is omitted from our services. While we may be uncomfortable participating in public confession, corporate worship can offer a time of self-reflection. The following quote by Peter Judd encourages us to include this integral element in our worship:

I remain convinced that some opportunity for worshipers to acknowledge their sinfulness and dependence on God, and to be assured of God’s forgiveness, is vital to authentic worship. Confession is that humble expression of vulnerability that allows us to experience our deep connectedness with God and others. Without confession, life in community becomes grounded in self and ego and fosters an environment where competition and barriers persist.

—Peter Judd, “Up Front,” Herald, March 2003, 5

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are formed by our individual and corporate worship. When we “confess to the Lord,” we come to understand that we are loved, forgiven, renewed, and then sent forth to be vibrant witnesses of the gospel.

   From Worship Helps  3/14/2010

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                    Regular Activities

Sunday

Sunday School,  9:30 AM

Worship Service, 10:45 AM

Children's Worship on Second and Fourth Sundays

Monday

Men's Prayer Breakfast,  8:30 AM
 

Wednesday

Prayer & Testimony Service, 7:00 PM
 

Women's Bible Study: 9:30 AM, 1st & 3rd  Wednesdays at Wichita Central

Thursday

The After School Homework Club (at  Wichita Central)

4:30 - 6:00 PM