From the sayings of the desert Fathers:
A brother who had sinned was turned out of the church by the priest; Abba Bessarion got up and went with him, saying, "I, too, am a sinner."
I was reminded of a conversation I had with a friend some time ago. I had asked him how things were going with a new church which he had recently begun attending. His mannerism suddenly changed and he hung his head; "I haven't really been going much at all", he said. When I asked him why not, he told me how he felt like a hypocrite going to church as he hadn't been living as he knew he ought. He said that he couldn't face all those people at church. I said, "you feel like a sinner?" He agreed. I told him that is never a reason not to go to church: if you wait till you're sinless, you'll never get to go. "You're welcome to join me at my church, we have sinners there. I should know, I'm one of them".
Every Sunday I hear these words:
Dear friends in Christ,
God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy;
he welcomes sinners and invites them to his table.
Let us confess our sins, confident in God's forgiveness.
These words weekly remind me that sinners are welcome at my church; I am welcome at my church. Even more profound is the reality that I am welcomed by God. If I can find forgiveness and mercy nowhere else, I can find it there.
I take comfort in this.
Does your church liturgy include a reading of the Ten Commandments? We get hit with it weekly, but if we're lucky, it gets followed by something along the lines of your quotation, "God is steadfast in love...." The explanation for reading the Law every week is that we need to be reminded that we are, in fact, sinners. Only after realizing this can we be assured of God's grace. I'm curious to know what you think about this practice.
ReplyDeleteJon, thank you for your comment/question.
ReplyDeleteIn our liturgy, which is from the Anglican Book of Alternative Services, we do not have a reserved place for the Ten Commandments. The purpose of the liturgy is to guide the congregation on a spiritual journey to Christ, whom we meet in the reading of Scripture and ultimately in the celebration of the Eucharist. Therefore, everything we do during the service is singularly for the purpose of preparing us to meet with Christ. It is within this framework that we encounter the words that I shared in my blog post. They are taken from the Confession & Absolution portion of the liturgy. It is here that we as a congregation make peace with God and with each other that we may come to the heavenly banquet table where we meet the risen Christ (i.e. in the Eucharist). If one is looking for a place in the service where we are "reminded that we are, in fact, sinners", this would likely be it.
But taking a step back, I think that the Confession part of our liturgy is markedly different from a reminder that we are sinners. The priest does not declare me to be a sinner; instead he declares God's goodness and mercy and invites me to share in it through the confession of my sins.
I don't need anyone telling me that I am a sinner: I am made aware of it daily in all that I do, in my interactions with those around me, in my thoughts, and my words. I am keenly aware of my sin every time I kneel down in prayer, every time I enter the presence of the living God. I cannot look at the crucifix hanging in my study without the recognition of the sin that put Christ there. Most assuredly, every time I step forward to share in the Eucharist, the holy awe that I feel in the depths of my being reminds me that I am a sinner. The Christian life, as we earnestly live it out, reminds us that we are sinners. I often wonder if God has not provided the sacrament of marriage that I might see more clearly my shortcomings.
I think the danger in actively seeking to remind ourselves (and worse, others) that we are sinners, is that we usually end up with religious moralism rather than true repentance. What I mean by this is that I can be told I am a sinner and that I require the healing that comes from the loving grace of God, but unless I truly understand this in the core of my being (i.e. experience God), nothing will change other than the borrowed guilt that I will carry around. It is only through meeting Christ that we can have any true perspective on ourselves: both our guilt and our glory. I find this is the best way to be reminded of our sin: through experiencing the holiness of God.
In the end, if someone doesn't know that they are broken, my pointing it out won't help anyway. On the contrary, it would likely do harm. Personally, I am wary of treading in territory that is not mine to tread (i.e. reminding others that they are sinners). The Holy Spirit reminds me that I am a sinner; but He also gives me life and draws me to Christ that I might find forgiveness and healing.
To answer your question (i.e. what do I think about the practice of reading the Ten Commandments every week to remind you that you are a sinner?), I would be very worried that such attempts could end up with a mis-balanced presentation of the Gospel message (e.g. the cross without the resurrection - all guilt, no glory).
Take my thoughts here for what you will. I appreciate your sharing. God bless.
Tyler...
Jon,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if I pulled out the soap-box on that last one; but sometimes when things are ruminating in the head for a while they spill out and one ends up responding not to the person in conversation so much as to their own prior thoughts.
Tyler...