The sobering thing about Lent is that I am asked to look at and think about my sin more than I usually do. Looking closely at my sin—even looking at my sin at all---is uncomfortable. It can be upsetting to focus on my own wrongdoing. The impulse with doing wrong is to downplay and deny that I did it. I want to pretend it never happened. Or I want to spin it so that it doesn't seem all that bad and to play up my reasons, my very understandable rational, for why I did what I did. What I don't want to do is look … [Read more...] about Confession
Confession
Permit us … Convince us …
Prayer "Permit us not, O Lord, to hear your word in vain. Convince us of its truth, cause us to feel its power and bind us to yourself with cords of faith and hope and love that never shall be broken. We bind to ourselves today, you our God: your power to hold us, your hand to guide us, your eye to watch us, your ear to hear us, your wisdom to teach us, your word to give us speech, your presence to defend us, this day and every day; in the name of the blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to whom be the … [Read more...] about Permit us … Convince us …