Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
Congregation at Prayer
A Guide for Daily Meditation and Prayer
For the Week of February 13thto 19th
Which Sins Are Confessed and Forgiven?
Responsive Prayer 2 – LSB p.285
Catechesis Notes for the Week…
Which sins should you confess? That’s this week’s lesson from the Catechism. And to answer this depends on the context of the confession. When we confess generally before God, for instance, in the Lord’s Prayer or in the General Confession on Sunday, we confess to all sins—those we know and those we don’t know. However, when we confess to God specifically through the pastor, we list only those that truly bother us. But which are those?
As you know, some sins tend to stick. They weigh us down and can even crush us. Sometimes we’ve done something so shameful we feel sick to our stomach. These sorts of sins that should be confessed privately before the pastor. But if nothing troubles you, nothing concrete at least, then don’t feel forced to go to Confession. This isn’t a good work you’ll get extra credit for—it’s God’s good work for you! It comes as gift, freedom, joy, and relief!
One problem I have with confession is that I often confess that I don’t feel the weightiness of my sin. I know I’m a sinner, but I don’t always feel like it, or I don’t always know how I’m a sinner. I know I’m a “poor, miserable sinner,” but how? For this we need help learning to examine ourselves.
Two helpful resources in the Catechism for self-examining are the 10 Commandments and the Table of Duties (pp.11-14 and 35-39). With the 10 Commandments, ask things like: “What or whom do I fear most?” “Am I diligent and sincere in my prayers?” “Am I faithful in the Divine Service, or do I attend sporadically?” Then, go to the Table of Duties and ask, “Am I a hearer of the Word?” “Am I a citizen?” “Am I a father, mother, son, daughter, husband, wife, or worker?” Then look at what’s required of each, see where you have failed, and confess these. This process is called self-examination. While admittedly very painful, it’s a wonderful preparation for hearing the forgiveness spoken by Christ to these specific sins.
Learn-By-Heart Scripture…Psalm 51:7
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
Learn-By-Heart Catechism…Confession
What Sins should we confess?
Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even those we are not aware of, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer; but before the pastor we should confess only those sins which we know and feel in our hearts.
Which are these?
Consider your place in life according to the Ten Commandments: Are you a father, mother, son, daughter, husband, wife, or worker? Have you been disobedient, unfaithful, or lazy? Have you been hot-tempered, rude, or quarrelsome? Have you hurt someone by your words or deeds? Have you stolen, been negligent, wasted anything, or done any harm?
Daily Readings…
Monday (2/13):Job 9:1-35; John 4:46-54
Tuesday (2/14):Job 10:1-22; John 5:1-18
Wednesday (2/15):Job 11:1-20; John 5:19-29
Thursday (2/16):Job12:1-6, 12-25; John5:30-47
Friday (2/17):Job13:1-12; John 6:1-21
Saturday (2/18):Job 13:13-28; John 6:22-40
Sunday (2/19):Job 14:1-22; John 6:41-59
Prayer of the Week…
O Lord, graciously hear the prayers of Your people that we who justlysuffer the consequence of our sin may be mercifully delivered by Your goodness to the glory of Your name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Amen.
Hymn of the Week…“Salvation Unto Us Has Come” 555
Looking Forward to Next Week…
2 Kings 2:1-122 Corinthians 3:12-13; 4:1-6Mark 9:2-9