On Confession and Sin: Preliminary Thoughts

In the wake of Ash Wednesday, there's an interesting conversation on Alan's blog about the notion of constant repentance, which I've spoken of before. You might check out my ideas if you're interested...

On the nature of sin: Why my sin doesn't separate me from God.

And regarding confession and worship:

Welcome him into the dark places. Don’t try to fix them up. Certainly don’t keep him out of them. Ask forgiveness only for actual sins: brokenness and need are not sins, and do not require apology. If you’ve got an incredible problem that you can’t seem to work out, tell him about it. Not that it will fix anything necessarily, but we need to cultivate a habit just being with Jesus in those places where we are uncomfortable being ourselves. If you’re not sure what to say to him because you just realized he’s not the horrible trickster god you were brought up with, say so. You don’t have to talk beyond that. Don’t make promises, just be there with him.