Low Sunday B’24
7 April 2024
I John 1.1 – 2.2
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
North Little Rock, Arkansas
The Rev. Carey Stone <+>
“If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Amen. – I John 1.9
Today in the calendar of the Church is known as Low Sunday. It’s called that for a couple of reasons. The first is more liturgical commentary where we get back to normal after the observance of the High Holy days of Holy Week and Easter. The second reason, is that the attendance isn’t as high as it was on Easter, having a lower turnout of parishioners.
Low Sunday, is a day to reflect back on the gift of Christ’s love, the darkness of Good Friday and the dazzling light of resurrection on Easter. Speaking of Good Friday, we are also on the eve of what we hope will be a spectacular view of a total eclipse. Please keep in mind that this is an opportunity to see what it looked like at noon on that original Good Friday when Christ hung upon the cross.
While there are numerous atonement theories that attempt to answer the question about why Jesus died on the cross, one strand upon which we can all agree is that something unique happened that was for us, that was transformative. In one way or the other, sin was not only taken care of but was taken away by the Lamb of God.
The 13th century Scottish theologian Duns Scotus describes what he believed God was up to on Good Friday: “Jesus died on the cross not to change God’s mind about us, but to change our minds about God.” God has no problem with sin, the problem is that we do, and the thing that it brings in our own minds is an alienation a sense of separation from God. Not that there is an actual separation but our consciences trouble us and we become aware that something we have done or left undone has put static on the line between us and God. God wanted to show us the extravagant love God has for us, not the great wrath God wants to pour upon sinners. Like a mother who would go to any length to redeem, rescue, and save her children so that nothing could finally ever separate them from having a relationship with their children – how much more is God’s love shown to us and for us!
But – and there is a big but! Our propensity is to sin and feel that foreboding sense of alienation – what do we do, what’s the remedy for us who are still on the earth on a very human journey, where we often fall short? We all know, sin seems to be ever present with us on a personal, corporate, and global scale.
God has given us the precious gift of repentance where we by God’s grace are enabled to turn from sin and back toward God; and the means to receiving this gift of repentance? The Church calls it – confession. Confession comes from the Latin, “confiteor” and means to admit (either a truth or a legal charge). We agree with God about what we have either done or left undone.
There are three primary types of confession that given to help us experience God’s forgiveness:
- General/Corporate Confession where we, along the rest of Christ body corporately confess (silently or mentally as we recite the prayer together). This form of confession is offered as a part of the liturgy each Sunday. With one notable exception. During the fifty days of Eastertide between Easter and Pentecost it is traditionally removed from the liturgy as an outward and visible sign of Christ’s destruction of death and the removing of sin on Easter Day.
- Penitential/ confession to a priest. Known in the book of Common prayer as “Reconciliation of a Penitent” (one who wishes to repent turn from sin while turning to God. This type of confession seems to work best for those who tried all other forms of confession but without any sense of relief to their conscience, or when someone is struggling to forgive themselves.
- Private Confession literally draws inspiration from 1 John 1.9, which says: “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” and can be offered to God at any time by anyone, and anywhere sin occurs. While God has removed the actual separation we experience a feeling of separation when we sin. A prayer of confession is simply us agreeing with God about whatever it is that we have done or left undone: Dear God, I have sinned by (fill in the blank) please forgive me. And we are promised that we are forgiven.
Some additional thoughts about confessing to a priest. There is a saying that has been around in the Anglican tradition for centuries about who should seek out a priest in the church to in order to confess their sin to: “All can – some should – none must.” Confession is available to anyone who desires it. It can be particularly helpful to those who are struggling to feel forgiven and should take advantage of this gift left to the church.
By confession we admit our wrongs and we are then cleansed, forgiven and restored to closeness with God.
One of our most beloved modern hymns expresses our deep desire for closeness with God:
I want to walk as a child of the light, I want follow Jesus
I want to see the brightness of God, I want to look at Jesus
I’m looking for the coming of Christ, I want to be with Jesus
In him there is no darkness at all. The night and the day are both alike.
The lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in our hearts Lord Jesus.
Amen.