The Purpose Of: Confession
What comes to mind with the word confession? This is a word that is probably associated, for most people at least, with church. That’s understandable, after all, not many business leaders are asking for confession from their employees. Where I live is predominately Catholic community. In fact my wife and other family members grew up in the Catholic faith. In Catholicism, confession is a regular and routine part of one’s worship and faith experience. After all, who wouldn’t want to be absolved of all our wrong doing? It is interesting to think that in most mainline protestant and evangelical churches confession is talked about and taught on but rarely done, at least not in this way. What if there were more to confession than just church?
I don’t think many people enjoy the process of confessing anything to anyone. I would argue that even people that this is a part of their regular lives don’t necessarily enjoy it. But what is the purpose of confession? In a world of of filters, touch ups, reshoots, and veneer we need more authenticity. If you know anything about any twelve step program such as Alcoholics Anonymous, it starts with,
“hi, my name is ______________ and I’m an alcoholic.”
I’ve never attended an AA meeting but I would imagine this type of thing would occur on some folding metal chairs in a basement or back room somewhere, not a comfortable couch in a high profile office. Wherever it occurs, it’s a person confessing who they are and giving themselves no room to pretend to be anything other than that in that moment. That starts with the expectation that one is walking into a culture in which this is a normal thing. You can feel the sense of uncomfortable vulnerability in the air as you walk in. It’s expected. I would imagine when that first person speaks up that takes the pressure off the next person and every person that speaks up in turn relieves the pressure a little more for each following person.
What if leaders in other organizations, businesses, ministries, and the like created culture in which their people can be that real and vulnerable? I’m not proposing an all feelings, no work environment but what if we were to create an atmosphere and culture that not only allowed but encourage their people to be open. Open about the good and the bad of their lives. To take “off the filter” and be vulnerable with those in the organization. James 5:16 says,
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (ESV)
Plain and simple, forgiveness comes from God but healing comes through confession to those in our lives, through people. The purpose of confession is all about being real. The purpose of confession is solidarity. That the “people who know us best love us the most” as John Maxwell says. It’s not easy living this way but I think this is one of the things many liturgical churches get right. I’ll leave you with this quote by Derek Webb. He’s a singer/songwriter and traveled as a worship leader for a few year. He said,
“The best thing that could ever happen to any one of us is that all our sins would be broadcast on the 5 o' clock news.”
If this were to occur, I could no longer pretend to be anything other than I am. Confession works in the same way. Be open, be honest, and lead out in creating and living a culture that models this well. Stay the course! You have what it takes!