The church lady stopped in at the grocery store on the way home from church. She’d signed up for a meal train, and baked potatoes with all the fixings were on the menu. Taking food to a grieving family is something we do when we do life in community. We can’t fix the loss, but we can feed the body. Somehow it helps. I know. I’ve received my fair share of meals and all the love that came with them. I’ve provided a few, too.

The woman at the cash register said, “You look nice. Did you go to church today?”

“I did,” she said.

The check-out lady scanned and weighed the potatoes. “What did you learn?” she asked next.

The church lady’s heart was full. At church that morning, the pastor had shared his sorrow and his hope. His son had passed away only a few days earlier, and on this first Sunday of grieving, he wanted nothing more than to be with his people. His community. His church family.

Without blinking, she began to pour out some of what her pastor had poured into her that morning. The check-out lady listened.

Turns out, she’d asked all the church people coming through her line the same two questions.

• Did you go to church today?
• What did you learn?

She got a lot of blank stares and a few fumbling answers, but nothing of substance. Finally, the church lady had given her answer that was exactly what she’d been looking for.

They wrapped up their transaction and moved on.

The next customer in line stepped up, “Wow. I wanted to be a part of that conversation.” she said.

My thought when I heard the story? Wow. I want to be a part of that church.

Confession lets the truth out

What the church lady did that day was a type of confession. She gave thanks for what God had done that morning through the words of her pastor and for the work God was doing in her pastor’s hurting heart.

The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness.

Isaiah 38:18-19 (ESV)

The original word for “he thanks you” and “he makes known” in this verse is the same as “he confesses.” When we declare God’s faithfulness, we are confessing–we are agreeing with God about his character, his purpose, and his ways.

When we speak it aloud to someone else, we’re letting the truth out about God. We’re making him known. Others get to see, marvel, and rejoice with us.

That’s confession.

Why do I need to confess?

Ruth Hailey Barton, in her book, Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God’s Transforming Presence, calls this confession of consciousness.

Sometimes we struggle with confession of consciousness almost as much as we do confession of conscience. Both require transparency and a willingness to be seen. The spotlight in consciousness is on God, but when we share what we know about him, we share our beliefs. We share our faith.

When we confess the sin on our conscience–people see us. When we confess our consciousness of Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross, the Father’s loving forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit’s transformational power–people see God.

That’s why we confess. To make him known.

Come Alongside

Would you continue this deep dive into confession with me? Be looking for God’s presence and activity around you. Agree with him about who he is, what he’s made, and what he’s doing. And confess it. I’d love to hear what he shows you and what he does with your confession.

We’ll talk more about this next week.

Traveling in Grace,

Christi