My Little children, I’m writing these things to you so that you don’t sin.  But if you do sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is God’s way of dealing with our sins, not only ours bur the sins of the whole world. … The one who claims to be in the light while hating a brother of sister is in the darkness even now. The person loving a brother and sister stays in the light, and there is nothing in the light that causes a person to stumble.  But the person who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and lives in the darkness, and doesn’t know where to go because the darkness blinds the eyes.                                                                                                                                                        1 John 2:1 – 2, 9 – 11

I have been long convinced that the one of the most meaningful and most profound moments in corporate worship is that moment in the communion liturgy where we, as God’s people, confess our sins, corporately and privately.  In those moments, we make a general, public confession followed immediately by a time of silence wherein we are encouraged to confess our sins to God in prayer.  What happens next is a miracle of grace!  The pastor says, “Hear the good news: Christ died for our sins while we were yet sinners.  This alone proves God’s love toward us.  In the name of Jesus, you are forgive!”  And the people respond: “In the name of Jesus, you too are forgive.”  WOW!!!  What a moment!

This is the moment that Protestant Christians come very close to being Roman Catholic.  Back in the spring, I took a group of Confirmands to St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Savannah.  We toured the building, looking at its beauty, noting the similarities and the differences in our two buildings.  Then, one of the young teens saw the Confessional, the “booth” where worshipers go to confess their sins to the priest.  Of course, when I told them what the booth was for, their curiosity was engaged.  O how different that sounds from what we do in our tradition!  But … is it?  In the quietness of that booth, parishioners sit to confess to their pastor and receive absolution.  In the quietness of our worship, parishioners sit and confess to God and receive absolution.  It is O so similar and O so necessary.

I have come to believe that we need to know that forgiveness has been offered to us and received by us.  Something happens in me when I hear the words, “In the name of Jesus, you too have been forgiven.”  In this fallen world, with its broken relationships, forgiveness is seldom openly expressed.  We may get around the offenses, but we seldom work through them.  We unknowingly hurt someone and for a period of time, short or long, we are estranged from them and we wonder why.  Why doesn’t he come around like he used to?  Why doesn’t he call?  Why don’t we have lunch anymore?  “Is it I, Lord?”  Surely if it was me, my friend would let me know.  So we move on with life; we do what we have to do to keep going and doing and behaving.  “Is it I, Lord?”   Surely, I must have done something, said something, failed to do something!  It’s me, isn’t it, Lord?  Then, we hear the words, “It is you!”  But seldom do we hear, “In the name of Jesus, you are forgiven.”  And even when we do, there is seldom complete restoration of relationship.

And so, we come to worship, carrying the ashes of our lives, the broken pieces of relationships, wondering if God has really forgiven us.  It seems we can’t find complete forgiveness and restoration from one another.  Is God like that?  How could God, who knows everything, ever forgive me since those who I see everyday, who know so little, can’t seem to?  And then, comes the words of hope: “In the name of Jesus, you are forgiven.”

Beloved, offer forgiveness to your family and friends.  If you have to, say the words: “In the name of Jesus, you are forgiven.”  We need to hear the words!  I need to hear those words!  It is a profound moment of worship whether you’re sitting in a sanctuary or in a coffee shop.

Grace and Peace to you all … Pastor Tucker