Lord, Forgive Me, For I Have Sinned

Last week’s lesson plan for the youth Sunday school class started with the question, “How did you sin this week?” I immediately turned to the next page and lesson plan. It should be noted: we had a good and fruitful conversation on cheating instead.

Discussing sin in any context - youth or otherwise - can be challenging. What is sin? What are the differences between the 613 commandments found in the Hebrew Bible and what Jesus taught us? What role does God’s grace and forgiveness play in our sins? If we are loved unconditionally, can’t we do whatever we want?

Pastor Jim rebuffed that last question when I asked it in confirmation many years ago. Despite being in a room full of teenagers, I think he could’ve won a contest for the most dramatic eye roll.

God is all-loving with unconditional grace, and the lessons in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament teach us that anything that separates us from God is sin. Our choices, our words, our behaviors are the catalysts that push us away not God’s choices, words, or behaviors.

So, then we get to the long-past-confirmation questions. If God is in the other and choosing to say, do, be things that separate us from God is sin, what does it mean when we actively separate ourselves from the other? If A = B and B = C, it seems that when I choose to behave in ways that separate myself from the other, I am actively sinning.

Lord, please forgive me, for I have sinned…again and again and again this week, last week, the week before that…

This week’s scripture reading comes from the book of Exodus when Moses leads the Hebrew people out of Egypt. Pharaoh has so much that he’s building storage buildings and simultaneously he is making his slaves find their own supplies to build these storage buildings. And, when they do not meet their daily quota, they are punished. ‘You do not have enough, and I have too much, so you shall be punished!’

Lord, please forgive me, for I have sinned…it’s obvious in my closet, it’s obvious in my pantry, it’s obvious in my choices each and every day.

Last week I told you we’re diving into a Stewardship Campaign, and this week I tell you we’re going to talk about the sin of excess. Perhaps I should try a different approach to encouraging you to join together for worship and praise, song and prayer. However, I hope this community is a space you feel comfortable enough being a part of to explore the practice of repentance. May you feel enough grace from God to come open your heart. May you feel enough grace from God in the other sitting next to you to confess your sins. May you feel grace at LUMC, at home, wherever you are each and everyday. May you feel grace and know you are not alone. For I ask the Lord again to forgive me, today I have sinned again.

Peace to you and yours,

Rev Elizabeth