“Because God delights in His people, He festoons plain folks
with salvation garlands!” (Psalm 149:4 MSG)
Sometimes in the midst of ministry, we lose sight of the fact that Jesus saves. We get caught up in appearances and calendars and agendas. In all that hustle, we might inadvertently, run over the very folks we are trying to reach.
Honestly, I’ve been pretty sore about the state of the church these days. Sore like staying awake into the night, praying and crying and asking God for insight. The further I walk in full-time ministry the more aware I am of the messes that have been hidden, the ugly that is covered, the broken wounded who have been sent away to suffer silently. We are so bad at being vulnerable, so reluctant to tell the truth and to trust God for full redemption the story. We forget, the truth will set us free!
The thing is, confession opens the door for restoration and salvation. Why are we reluctant to pull back the latch? Why do we force folks to wrestle in the dark? What’s left without light always grows more sinister.
Vulnerability requires straight-up courage. As a church, as godly people we can meet the brave vulnerability of others with compassion instead of condemnation, with communion instead of excommunication, with unconditional affection instead of fear. But we don’t. We stand still, frozen afraid that their story of stumbling or full-on failure will brush too close to our own hidden shortcomings. So we go our separate ways. Leaders press on to a more perfect-looking, less-authentic facade of a church. Self-proclaimed sinners push away into even deeper losses. We are all weaker because of it; both the church and the unrestored. We are more easily picked off by the enemy and a mere shadow of the body of believers we are designed to be. The church was always meant to be a hospital where the broken find healing.
“When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous but those who know they are sinners.” (Mark 2:17 NLT)
Confession and compassion are the two events that remain essential for true community. It’s concerning how the church is learning to live bankrupt of these two fundamentals in the faith.
“Make this your common practice: confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed. (James 5:16 MSG)
“So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength and discipline.” (Colossians 3:12 MSG)
Apart from confession and compassion we are stuck endlessly in the vicious cycle of our sin, naked and ashamed. Unable to come close to one another. Unable to come close to God and gain the healing we all need most. Conversely, when we operate in confession and compassion, the doors open wide for reconciliation and rehabilitation.
Lord, we tend to put up walls between us and others, between us and You. We do this because we are afraid our sin is too ugly to forgive, too ugly to forget. Our hiddenness holds back the healing, for ourselves, for others. Help us to be honest about the things we struggle against and in doing so, give others room to be honest also. Heal us through our confession. Forgive us and strengthen us as we come together to seek You. May we regularly practice the rhythms of confession and compassion. Restore Your church to the glorious bride she’s called to be. Amen.