Confession

Just remember. The reason we confess our sins, corporate or private, is NOT to earn forgiveness.

Sounds like something any good Lutheran raised in the church would say, "duh" to, but I think if we examine our thoughts, as any good Lutheran likes to do, we will find times where we start to feel that need for confession to creep in (like,say, during penitential seasons or Holy Week). And as you make the journey through the services leading up to Easter and you can't help but feel emotions welling up, suddenly you feel so overwhelmed with your sins that you want to spend hours writing them all down to confess because you know there's just so many you haven't confessed yet and, and there's just too many, and you sin so often that the list just keeps getting longer faster before you even have a chance to catch up with the past ones and, and, and...

and guess what? On this side of heaven there always, ALWAYS, will be. And you'll never, NEVER be sorry enough even if you COULD list them all.

We do not confess -corporate or private- to earn forgiveness. We confess to be reminded of how much we need a Savior. We confess to be drawn back to Jesus. We confess to be swept back into the Word. It is grace alone, a gift, because your sins were forgiven before you even knew to confess them when you were Baptized. Ah, sweet Gospel.

HE IS RISEN!!! HE IS RISEN INDEED, ALLELUIA!