Doorway to Freedom: Confession
James 5:13–16
Where can you be your most authentic, true self? Is it at home with your family? Is it with friends? Is it at church? As much as we like to believe we are always our true, authentic selves, we all wear masks depending on the situation. We do it to protect ourselves, to look good, or to fit in. We don’t want the world to know how much of a mess we are. And yet we cannot hide from God. God knows us, and God sees us. God knows our flaws and the places we fall short. We may hide it from others, but God knows.
As Christians in the Protestant tradition, we do not view confession as a sacrament. We do not have a confessional in the church. We do not go to the clergy to make confession, although you can. I would like to say and think that it is all between God and me. When I was younger, I wondered why confession was even necessary if God already knows. As I’ve grown, I realize that confession is necessary for change. Only when I admit where I have sinned and strayed can I change. Like I said, God already knows, but there is something intimate and powerful about purposefully exposing your soul to the gaze of God.
So we pray, and we confess our sins, shortcomings, and failings to God. It’s all very private. But what about that prayer of confession that we recite together every Sunday at the 11:00 a.m. service or before receiving the sacrament of Communion at the early service? What’s that all about?
Scripture tells us, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). Foster explains that hidden sin binds us in shame, but spoken confession, when shared humbly and wisely, breaks the power of secrecy. Corporate confession is not about public shaming; it is about shared humility. It acknowledges that we all stand in need of grace. As a congregation, we are a fellowship of saints and sinners, often occupying the same space simultaneously.
When a church practices confession together, whether through spoken prayers, liturgy, or small groups marked by trust, it cultivates authenticity. Pride softens. Masks fall. Compassion grows. We begin to see one another not as competitors in righteousness but as fellow pilgrims in need of mercy. It is an act of solidarity and an expression of how much we need each other and how much we all need Jesus.
Corporate confession also reflects the heart of the gospel. We gather not because we are strong, but because Christ is merciful. In being honest about our lives and naming our shortcomings together, we experience the gift of forgiveness and proclaim that it is indeed real and that wholeness and reconciliation are possible. As Foster teaches, confession is a doorway into freedom. When we walk through it together, we experience not only personal cleansing but communal renewal.
Rev. Dana Ezell
