Why do Lutherans rarely go to private confession?

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EvangelCatholic

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I was reading another thread on this subject and paused to wonder why this wonderful sacrament, what Lutherans refer to as ‘Holy Absolution’, is rarely utilized? I must confess [pun intended - lol] that even though I was raised in a parish that observed private confession hardly anyone went. Especially since we get absolved in public confession in the Eucharist. I remember being strongly urged by the pastor to make an Easter confession and that everyone in the catechism class did out of guilt. My Dad was raised in a Lutheran church that urged communicants to come to church on Saturday for the Confessional Service; most people did or if not, they didn’t commune on Sunday.

I attended Lutheran colleges/ seminary where private confession was encouraged and well observed especially in the seminary. Yet, alas I rarely seek private confession. Laziness is evil.

Any comments on why we don’t take advantage of this sacrament?
 
The Sacrament is a life line its an aide for all storms. A Gift-Grace. You exhale the stale air, and inhale the Lords Grace. When you decide what you need to do and not need to do in Gods Kingdom, He’s no longer King but your servant where you are expectant of Him. He is Expectant of You. We worship Him. Thy will be done. and not as we think day by day and week by week how it should be done depending on our schedule.

Wouldn’t be only Lutherans who do this, we all do. All sinners should only make us seriously contemplate that Sacrament a bit deeper I would say. Contrition is the thinking.
 
GaryTaylor said:
The Sacrament is a life line its an aide for all storms. A Gift-Grace. You exhale the stale air, and inhale the Lords Grace. When you decide what you need to do and not need to do in Gods Kingdom, He’s no longer King but your servant where you are expectant of Him. He is Expectant of You. We worship Him. Thy will be done. and not as we think day by day and week by week how it should be done depending on our schedule.

Wouldn’t be only Lutherans who do this, we all do. All sinners should only make us seriously contemplate that Sacrament a bit deeper I would say. Contrition is the thinking.
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Yes, the knowledge and comfort of the words of forgiveness lifts a heavy burden. I must say that my most meaningful confessions have been in either the pastor’s office or outside under a tree. Going out into the forest on retreats, making confession is “inhaling the Lord’s Grace”, as you say.
 
When I have gone to Lutheran churches, they have been ELCA, and I was not aware that private confession was offered.
 
EvangelCatholic said:
I was reading another thread on this subject and paused to wonder why this wonderful sacrament, what Lutherans refer to as ‘Holy Absolution’, is rarely utilized? I must confess [pun intended - lol] that even though I was raised in a parish that observed private confession hardly anyone went. Especially since we get absolved in public confession in the Eucharist. I remember being strongly urged by the pastor to make an Easter confession and that everyone in the catechism class did out of guilt. My Dad was raised in a Lutheran church that urged communicants to come to church on Saturday for the Confessional Service; most people did or if not, they didn’t commune on Sunday.

I attended Lutheran colleges/ seminary where private confession was encouraged and well observed especially in the seminary. Yet, alas I rarely seek private confession. Laziness is evil.

Any comments on why we don’t take advantage of this sacrament?
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Perhaps it’s because it takes special veins of steel to go through something like that? 😛
 
Why don’t some Lutherans take advantage of private Confession and Absolution?

I suppose one reason is that corporate confession is so much easier! 😛

Sadly, there is an element within Lutheranism that forgets we believe we are part of the One, Holy, catholic and Apostolic church. This group has lost sight of “reforming” and is instead insistent upon “protesting” (personally, I think this is due to a sort of modern crypto-Calvinist anti-Catholic influence… but that’s another thread). My point is that some Lutherans have brushed aside various practices for fear of being “too Romish.” Sad, really.

Personally, I seek private Confession at least monthly.
 
steido01 said:
This group has lost sight of “reforming” and is instead insistent upon “protesting” (personally, I think this is due to a sort of modern crypto-Calvinist anti-Catholic influence… but that’s another thread).
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I know from older LCMS members that there was a wave of anti-Catholic changes that fit in with the late 19 century anti-Catholic eve in America. The confessionals were the first to go.

Thankfully, were reverting back to our roots. I’m quite certain our church will have a confessional in the next 5 years. I’m on the church building committee, and when I brought the subject up, I didn’t expect the encouragement that the idea got. There’s hope for us yet!

For me, I’ve gone to private confessions for sins that I keep committing. Having my pastor hear me gives me the extra push I need to refrain from those sins.
 
steido01 said:
Why don’t some Lutherans take advantage of private Confession and Absolution?

I suppose one reason is that corporate confession is so much easier! 😛

.
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Well…i think you nailed it here…that is why there is the sacrament of oral confession…it is not easy taking the courage to admit one’s sins orally…in front of one’s spiritual father…it is hard.

Some take the easy road…😉
 
benjohnson said:
I know from older LCMS members that there was a wave of anti-Catholic changes that fit in with the late 19 century anti-Catholic eve in America. The confessionals were the first to go.

Thankfully, were reverting back to our roots. I’m quite certain our church will have a confessional in the next 5 years. I’m on the church building committee, and when I brought the subject up, I didn’t expect the encouragement that the idea got. There’s hope for us yet!

For me, I’ve gone to private confessions for sins that I keep committing. Having my pastor hear me gives me the extra push I need to refrain from those sins.
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You hit the nail here too…BenJ…😉

That is the point of oral confession.

A book I would recommend for you and your Lutheran friends…is Scott Hahn’s Lord Have Mercy, on the sacrament of confession…🙂
 
One has to be quite brave to approach confession. In Reformed theology, it’s quite easy to excuse yourself from going, because unlike Roman Catholics we do not have the terrifying knowledge that confession to a priest is pretty much a must should we not wish to languish in purgatory for millenia or go to hell. But Confession is a sacrament well worth availing yourself of - its healing medicine is like nothing in the secular world.
 
steido01 said:
Why don’t some Lutherans take advantage of private Confession and Absolution?

I suppose one reason is that corporate confession is so much easier! 😛

Sadly, there is an element within Lutheranism that forgets we believe we are part of the One, Holy, catholic and Apostolic church. This group has lost sight of “reforming” and is instead insistent upon “protesting” (personally, I think this is due to a sort of modern crypto-Calvinist anti-Catholic influence… but that’s another thread). My point is that some Lutherans have brushed aside various practices for fear of being “too Romish.” Sad, really.

Personally, I seek private Confession at least monthly.
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Monthly, indeed. Thanks for the reminder:thumbsup: Although I am sure wifey will bring this to my attention tonight. She’s great at examining my conscience. :rotfl:

Tomorrow at 8am, sharp.
 
I think it’s because it was not offered. During our ‘new member’ class, it never came up. And for me personally, I prefer the idea of a confessional versus a face to face.

Added to that, our pastor has always come across as ‘hey, i’m just like you’ kind of person. The old ‘man in a suit’ idea that he’s just like anybody else.

I would prefer to have a pastor that took his office, his calling, his role more seriously. I have had times in my 2-ish life as an LCMS Lutheran that I’ve wanted to make use of this grace, but didn’t feel like it was something taking seriously.

While serving on the Education committee, I think I mentioned it as something I would like to ‘teach’ to our congregation in terms of what being Lutheran meant, and our DCE shorta shrugged it off.
 
EvangelCatholic said:
I was reading another thread on this subject and paused to wonder why this wonderful sacrament, what Lutherans refer to as ‘Holy Absolution’, is rarely utilized? I must confess [pun intended - lol] that even though I was raised in a parish that observed private confession hardly anyone went. Especially since we get absolved in public confession in the Eucharist. I remember being strongly urged by the pastor to make an Easter confession and that everyone in the catechism class did out of guilt. My Dad was raised in a Lutheran church that urged communicants to come to church on Saturday for the Confessional Service; most people did or if not, they didn’t commune on Sunday.

I attended Lutheran colleges/ seminary where private confession was encouraged and well observed especially in the seminary. Yet, alas I rarely seek private confession. Laziness is evil.

Any comments on why we don’t take advantage of this sacrament?
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Thank you for calling it a sacrament, though I believe corporate confession is sacrament, as well.

Laziness, fear, anti-Catholic. yes, probably contributing factors. I would also contend the vestiges of pietism, and the influence of Reformed here in America. It is making a comeback of sorts, to the point that a small few have even built confessionals.
This will be a long term process, and catechesis of our youth is vital.

Jon
 
JonNC said:
Thank you for calling it a sacrament, though I believe corporate confession is sacrament, as well.

Laziness, fear, anti-Catholic. yes, probably contributing factors. I would also contend the vestiges of pietism, and the influence of Reformed here in America. It is making a comeback of sorts, to the point that a small few have even built confessionals.
This will be a long term process, and catechesis of our youth is vital.

Jon
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We discuss this at our bi-weekly study of the Confessions. It is making a comeback at our church. Our pastor thinks if the confessional brought back, that would encourage members to use private confession.
 
I was also raised in the Missouri Synod; that’s where I received my ‘catholic’ heart and where most parishes offered what the Lutheran Confessions refer to as the “Sacrament of Repentance”

Apology XIII: “Therefore Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and Absolution, which is the Sacrament of Repentance, are truly Sacraments. For these rites have God’s command and the promise of grace, which is peculiar to the New Testament.”

Per Wikipedia

**[1]The Lutheran Church practices “Confession and Absolution” [referred to as the Office of the Keys] with the emphasis on the absolution, which is God’s word of forgiveness. Indeed, Lutherans highly regard Holy Absolution. They, like Roman Catholics, see James 5:16 and John 20:22-23 as biblical evidence for confession.

[2] Confession and absolution is done in private to the pastor, called the “confessor” with the person confessing known as the “penitent”. In confession, the penitent makes an act of contrition, as the pastor, acting in persona Christi, announces the formula of absolution. Prior to the confession, the penitent is to review the Ten Commandments to examine his or her conscience.

[3] In the Lutheran Church, like the Roman Catholic Church, the pastor is bound by the Seal of the Confessional. Luther’s Small Catechism says “the priest is pledged not to tell anyone else of sins to him in private confession, for those sins have been removed.” If the Seal is broken, it will result in excommunication.

[4] In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, private confession fell into disuse; at the present time, it is, for example, expected before partaking of the Eucharist for the first time.

[5] It is also encouraged to be done frequently in a year (specifically before Easter). In many churches, times are set for the pastor to hear confessions.**
 
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