Confession of sins - how do YOU do it?

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dzheremi said:
I have to tell you that the entireity of first confession went like this: “Bless me father, for I have sinned…I lost the sheet that they gave us to tell us how to do this.” 😊

So there is no need to worry about doing it “wrong”!
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Thanks!👍 I feel better already. I’m also checking the Fathers of Mercy site.
 
Now I do not belong to any Church, but I was raised around many different religions, Christian and Non Christian, and even Atheists, a non-Prophet religion.

Personally I do believe in The Triune Infinite God and OSAS.

I guess it is different for each OSAS person. I have never heard one say they did not need to confess because all was already forgiven. And most I have been around never thought it meant a free pass to live like the devil.

They just pray one on one to God and ask him to forgive them, and he would. I heard the verse Zenas quoted many times. Just there is no Priest involved, only God.

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If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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Now I do know a few OSAS who sold fire insurance. Which I think is wrong, and if they kept sinning they would tell them they probably were not saved to begin with, just thought they were. IMO that makes people very fearful of God.

But for the most part they believed God would forgive if you were honest and truly meant it. If the sin was the result of an addiction or a problem you had with, lets say an explosive temper, then you would also ask God to help you with the problem.

I was also told that so many people have guilt issues that keep them from having peace and joy, they worry God did not forgive when they repented and keep asking him over and over. And that by obsessing on it we could very well be offending God. Because he said he would forgive us. It is covered and God does not see it.

If you do not mind I have a few questions about Catholic confessing of sins. I do not know your age but OMG! With a first confession of a convert you are talking years and years of stuff! When a person goes to a priest like that how far back to they have to go? What if they forget about something, or it is so far back they will never remember it? What if they purposely omit something?

I almost feel sorry for priests. I bet they have heard some confessions that go on forever! LOL Even 20 and 30 year olds have a ton of stuff just from the teen daze!
 
Auriel said:
Now I do not belong to any Church, but I was raised around many different religions, Christian and Non Christian, and even Atheists, a non-Prophet religion.

Personally I do believe in The Triune Infinite God and OSAS.

I guess it is different for each OSAS person. I have never heard one say they did not need to confess because all was already forgiven. And most I have been around never thought it meant a free pass to live like the devil.

They just pray one on one to God and ask him to forgive them, and he would. I heard the verse Zenas quoted many times. Just there is no Priest involved, only God.
Now I do know a few OSAS who sold fire insurance. Which I think is wrong, and if they kept sinning they would tell them they probably were not saved to begin with, just thought they were. IMO that makes people very fearful of God.

But for the most part they believed God would forgive if you were honest and truly meant it. If the sin was the result of an addiction or a problem you had with, lets say an explosive temper, then you would also ask God to help you with the problem.

I was also told that so many people have guilt issues that keep them from having peace and joy, they worry God did not forgive when they repented and keep asking him over and over. And that by obsessing on it we could very well be offending God. Because he said he would forgive us. It is covered and God does not see it.

If you do not mind I have a few questions about Catholic confessing of sins. I do not know your age but OMG! With a first confession of a convert you are talking years and years of stuff! When a person goes to a priest like that how far back to they have to go? What if they forget about something, or it is so far back they will never remember it? What if they purposely omit something?

I almost feel sorry for priests. I bet they have heard some confessions that go on forever! LOL Even 20 and 30 year olds have a ton of stuff just from the teen daze!
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We are to confess all mortal sin we know about to a priest. If you don’ remember it you can’t confess it. however, if you intentionally withhold mortal sin, you are still not in a state of grace. And yes some of my confessions have been quite lengthy!
 
Ag_not said:
As some of you may know, I’m preparing to be received into the Catholic Church. I will make my first confession to a priest, and pray to God for his mercy and forgiveness.
(As an aside, please pray for the priest that hears my confession :eek: that he does not lose the will to live half way through it - I have been bad. Believe me. :eek: )

Anyhow, all this thinking about confession got me thinking. If you are a christian, and you believe you are saved already, and assured of your salvation regardless - do you confess sins? Do you commit sins? If you commit a sin, and you MUST as you are a human being, who doo you confess to? Jesus? Privately? How does that work? Do you pray and just say something like, ‘‘Forgive me Lord’’ and that’s it. Job Done. Or is there something else you do? Or do you not confess at all as you dont think you need to as it wont in any way affect your salvation.

Im also interested to know if theres such a concept in the Jewish, Islamic and other faiths?

I’m asking out of a genuine desire to know how others confess and what confession means to them. No agenda other than to know.
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Ag_not I personally confess my sins to GOD privately in prayer. I do ask others to forgive me if I have sinned/wronged them in any way. It’s then up to them to decide if they forgive me. No man can forgive sin itself. Only GOD can forgive sin. We can forgive each other for transgressing against one another and I believe if we are forgiving to one another then GOD forgives us.

If you recall in scripture Jesus teaches us to pray the Lord’s prayer. Asking GOD for forgiveness is part of this prayer and is found right in Matthew 6:12:

“and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”

I believe asking GOD for forgiveness goes way beyond just living life the way you want and then asking for forgiveness. We are supposed to repent of our sinful ways, repent meaning to turn away. I believe true followers of Christ truly try to repent. We may not be successful all the time but that’s why Christ died for us. To pay that penalty. We are still instructed to ask GOD for forgiveness though and not just adopt an attitude of oh well I believe in Jesus so sin doesn’t matter. I know people that feel just this way.

In the Jewish faith they observe Yom Kippur which is a day of atonement centering around fasting and intense prayer. Jewish folks can certainly expound on this. Before the destruction of the Temple Jews would take an animal sacrifice to the high Priest as a sin offering.

In Islam I believe they observe a confession of sin and repentance to Allah and believe salvation is obtained by observing the commands of the Koran. They do not believe in a mediator such as a Priest/Elder to pronounce forgiveness.

PEACE
 
Lepers in the OT used to have to bare their wounds to a priest, who would then offer the proper sacrifice that would heal them. This was a figure of confession, where we bare our spiritual wounds to the priest who applies the cleansing sacrifice of Christ.

Notice, even when Jesus heals a leper, he still sends him to the priest (Mark 1:44). Jesus spiritual healing of us is no different.

God knows us and He knows we need confession. It helps us with accountability, but also humility. It forces us to really confront our sins and deal with them.

I heard an interesting homily once. The priest mentioned there used to be long lines for confession, and only one or two psychologists/psychiatrists/counselors in the phonebook–now, lines for confession are often short, while there are pages and pages of psychologists/psychiatrists/counselors in the phonebook.

This is not a knock on those kinds of professions which do good in their own sphere, but rather to point out the basic human need to confess their problems and failings to someone else.
 
Ag_not said:
Thank you. That was very interesting.

How about any other denomination? And I’d especially like to know how confession works, or if the concept exists, in the Jewish faith, Islam, and others.
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Lutherans can confess sin in two ways: public and private confession to a pastor/confessor.
Jon
 
JonNC said:
Lutherans can confess sin in two ways: public and private confession to a pastor/confessor.
Jon
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Private confession as in one to one with the confessor - yes? What do you mean by ‘‘public’’ confession/ Is that a general absolution given in a church service?
 
Ag_not said:
As some of you may know, I’m preparing to be received into the Catholic Church. I will make my first confession to a priest, and pray to God for his mercy and forgiveness.
(As an aside, please pray for the priest that hears my confession :eek: that he does not lose the will to live half way through it - I have been bad. Believe me. :eek: )
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Don’t worry. 🙂

There is nothing you could have done that they haven’t either already heard in previous Confessions, or read about in either the Bible or in the Lives of the Saints. 😉
 
Ag_not said:
Private confession as in one to one with the confessor - yes? What do you mean by ‘‘public’’ confession/ Is that a general absolution given in a church service?
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Here is our public Confession of Sin that is said at Church with us kneeling.

The following can be found in our Book of Common Prayer.

The Celebrant may read one of the following -

Jesus said, “The first commandments is this: Hear, O Israel:
The Lord your God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love
your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment
greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God, who is
faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8,9

Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the
heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us with confidence draw
near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and
find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14,16

Celebrant then says

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Minister and People

Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The Bishop when present, or the Priest, stands and says

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins
through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all
goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you
in eternal life. Amen.
 
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