Friday, July 31

Today’s Readings: Psalm 92; 2 Samuel 11:1-27; Mark 7:31-37; Acts 23:6-11; Psalm 106:1-23

Each denomination has their own unique personality and theological take on things. I have certainly learned that serving an ecumenical church affiliated with three denomination. Many churches in The United Church of Christ, for instance, have a thorough commitment to free thinking and a deep commitment to the use of inclusive language. Many United Methodist Churches have a theological grounding in the concept of grace. They also have a broad theological range within their worshipping communities as evidenced through their hymnal and hymnal supplement. The Presbyterian Church (USA), on the other hand, tends to be very liturgical. They also regularly include an element in worship that some other denominations don’t: a prayer of confession. Many progressive churches are extremely uncomfortable with using prayers of confession in worship as they tap into deep-seeded issues regarding the doctrine of original sin. When I started out at Mountain View, I too was a little suspicious of the regular prayers of confession. Over time, however, I have come to love those prayers. Why is that? Well, for me, those prayers give me the opportunity in worship to take a moment and remember who I am (a finite person with limited capacities) before I celebrate who God is. In essence, they give me the opportunity to remind myself of my need to live in right reltaionship with God. The psalmist understood this, for in today’s first psalm the psalmist took time to do just that – acknowledge the limitations both of himself and his ancestors. “We’ve sinned a lot, both we and our parents,” the psalmist noted, “we’ve fallen short, hurt a lot of people.” (Psalm 92:6 from The Message). So what role does confession play in your own spiritual life? The answer to that question will go a long way in help shape the way you live out your relationship with God. Til next time…