In the 70's, Karl Menninger wrote Whatever Became of Sin? Citizens of Western civilization seem to have lost their sense of how we live at odds with God. Guilt and remorse seem psychologically unhealthy to us; we prefer to think positively, to look on the bright side of things. A sunny brand of Christianity has emerged that does not dig into the underbrush of sin. Worshippers grin in celebration.
And yet humanity's plight has not changed: in worship, we notice that murky waters have seeped into the soul. We have forgotten about God for swaths of time. We have (like Atlas) hoisted the world on our own shoulders. We have delighted in what is evil. We have ignored the sorrow of others. We have hurt others and ourselves, and the air must be cleared. Our fractured relationship with God must be renewed, or else we cannot worship, any more than we can share in tender conversation over a lingering dinner with a spouse we had wounded just a few hours before without saying something, an abject apology, a pledge of contrition.
Repentance is not a mere apology to get ourselves out of trouble (a la "I cannot tell a lie, I did chop down the cherry tree"). Repentance is not a mood or a feeling. The Hebrew word shûb means to do an about-face, to make a 180° turn: Lord, I have been charging off in the wrong direction, and now I turn to hurry back into your arms. The Greek word metanoia means "change of mind": Lord, my thinking has been confused and self-indulgent, but now I am changing my perspective so I can think your thoughts, and will what you want for me. I cannot do this alone: to repent depends on a miracle, the firm labor of the Spirit who loves us too much to leave us to our own devices. "The mercy of God is necessary not only when we repent, but even to lead us to repent" (St. Augustine).
Repentance won't settle for less than a repaired relationship. If we notice clutter in some corner of the heart, or an unconverted knot in our actions, we turn it over to God, wheeling 180° to think - and behave differently! True repentance bears fruit (Matthew 3:8); we prepare for change. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10).
In worship, we have the mutually embarrassing (and therefore encouraging) privilege of exposing our waywardness in front of other people! Early Methodists were required to be in small AA-type groups in which each person would be asked "What sins have you committed since we were together last week?" When we confess sin together in public worship, we enjoy a humility as we are reminded of how we all struggle; we lift each other up. We realize sin damages not just me, but the community, the world. But there is hope, there is power for change. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that repentance is "not thinking about my need, my problems, my sins, and my fears, but allowing myself to be caught up into the way of Jesus Christ."
James
james@mpumc.org
To read more on forgiveness, click here or here.
Sunday's sermon on the death of Moses (Deuteronomy 34) may be heard here.
Coming up (to the last 5 installments as we conclude):
eWorship21 - School of Theology and Virtue
eWorship22 - Seasons and Years
eWorship23 - Holy matrimony
eWorship24 - Benediction
eWorship25 - Funeral
