Why we still need confession
For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page, which includes Fair's current Living by the Word column as well as past magazine and blog content. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.
Most of us do not take criticism well. We get defensive, make excuses, or blame others. Nor do we engage in much self reflection or acknowledgement of our personal failings.
A lot of churches have deleted the prayer of confession from their Sunday morning orders of worship because of complaints that “those prayers are too depressing,” or “those things don’t apply to me.” Ponder: if a prayer of confession is too much to stomach, what right does a prophet from 2,500 years ago have to make us feel guilty, to throw stones at our worship practices, to cast aspersions on our expressions of piety?
