This Is Disappearing from Christian Worship

When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant.

Psalm 73:21-22

Confession has always had a central place in Christian worship. Catholics confessed their sins to a priest. Protestants confessed their sinfulness to God. But it seems that confessing our sins is disappearing from worship altogether.

We celebrate God, and we celebrate ourselves, but if we do not confess our sins, we will not change. A Christianity that neglects confession of sin is not New Testament Christianity. The point of the gospel is that it changes a person. It doesn’t leave you as you were. That’s why Paul says to Christian believers, “Examine yourselves… Test yourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5). And it was Socrates who said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” He was right.

This is what Asaph did. When Asaph’s mind was straightened out by the truth, he was able to see what had been going on in his soul, and that led him to make this confession to God. Confession is not a sign of dysfunction in the Christian life. It is a sign of health. When the light goes on, you begin to see yourself more clearly, not less.

Do you want to grow and change? Ask the Lord to help you see yourself more clearly, so that confession becomes a more regular part of your walk with God.