This year’s retreat has continued to stir my mind concerning community. Craig Heilmann, a PHD student at Duke Divinity, challenged us to consider our prayers, scripture reading and community from a different perspective. I want to highlight his thoughts on becoming a confession as a way to being in community with each other.
One of the temptations I face is to live my life as a series of private affairs. No one really has to know what is going on in my life, nor does any of my decision-making have to connect with anyone. When I live this way, I end up settling for a place of isolation where my secrets are kept and nobody else can get in. This is not a good place to start building community.
Confession on the other hand, drives me to a place of community. Confession draws me out of my false self as only deliverer of the gospel without needing to hear it for myself. Confession gives voice to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ in my own life – that I am forgiven for my sins! This physical hearing of the good news from a friend solidifies my faith and reforms my need for community in a healthy way.
Pray with me that we would become a confessional community. Not one that airs our dirty laundry as a means of catharsis, but an authentic community that longs for the touch of Jesus in our lives which authenticates and personalizes our witness of hope to the world.
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