Introduction

The Congregation Council at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Beatrice, Neb., where I am serving as interim pastor, opens its monthly meetings with devotions. These are the thoughts for the June 2010 meeting. The Psalm is the one appointed for the third Sunday after Pentecost. The council read it in choirs—men and women.

Reading

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.

Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

While I kept silence, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Do not be like a horse or mule,
without understanding,
whose temper must be curbed
with bit and bridle,
else it will not stay near you.

Many are the torments of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

Devotion

There’s a famous scene in the movie, The Mission, where a 18th-century Spanish mercenary, played by Robert DeNiro, decides to give us his violent ways and to become a monk. He decides he needs to atone for his sins, so he drags a bag containing his armor and weapons through the South American jungle, up into the mountains, to the headwaters of a river where the mission is located.

In a wordless scene at the end of this ardous journey, a boy cuts the rope binding the bag to Rodrigo, and the former killer breaks down into tears of deliverance, forgiveness, and release.

Can you think of a time in your life when you have recognized your sin and asked God and those whom you had hurt for forgiveness? What a great release it is when we receive that word of grace, “I forgive you.”

This is exactly what the psalmist invites us to experience. We can feel the weight of a burden of sin in the words, “While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.” (Psalm 32:3, NRSV) But at the same time, we can feel the relief that comes when we finally can say, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” (Psalm 32:5)

Forgiveness is a great gift from God. We can trust that he forgives us and gives us a new lease on life when we confess our sins to him.

Discussion

+ How have you responded when someone has come to you to confess having wronged you in some way?
+ If you have something to confess, what keeps you from making that confession either to God or to someone else?
+ Are there any sins that our congregation has committed as a community for which we should ask forgiveness?
+ What can we do as leaders to encourage confession?

Prayer

Help us, O God, to turn to you and to tell you our sins. When we have sinned against others, give us the courage and the humility to confess our wrongdoing. Give us new life by the Spirit of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.