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Creative Writing, Faith and Writing, Journaling, Lent 2016, Memories & Reflections, Quotes, Writing 101, Writing Prompts
Lent Photo-A-Day (February 10 – March 27, 2016)
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Day 27 — Confession
I must “confess” this word brought up TWO images for me. Confessions as regards to a crime, and confessions as regards to a person’s spiritual life. Both of which have negative connotations for me.
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The first one, obviously, because it involves a criminal act and may, also, involve coercion into confession. (It may mean, however, that I’ve watched too many police procedural series on TV!)
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The second may not involve a criminal act (and please understand I’m not picking on any denomination in particular here), but sometimes it can involve a lot of misunderstanding and leave a person feeling like a very bad individual when all they really are is human.
Both of these examples involve judgement on an outsider’s part. But I’m learning that a confession can be other things as well. Positive things.
In the congregation where we worship, at the end of our service we have what is more of a confession than a benediction. And it always sends me away from Sunday worship feeling positive and ready to be a better, more loving person. (That’s not to say I do it justice!) It goes:
We are a community faithfully growing in Christ, loving like Christ and serving with Christ. This service is ended, but our life in Jesus Christ goes on and on. We go now into all the world. May our light so shine and our joy be so obvious that all who see us may come to praise God.
Hearing that every week is so different from what I’ve always thought of as confession. The very first definition of confession at dictionary.com is “an acknowledgment; avowal; admission.” And I’m coming to realize that we all have a confession for our own lives whether we ever verbalize it or not. Every morning when we get up, we wake with that confession in our minds. What IS our confession? What do we believe about our life or where it’s going?
I’ve been thinking about that since I saw what today’s word was. I’ve realized this past year that I’m STILL WORKING OUT THE CONFESSION OF MY LIFE. Every day is new now, and I have a feeling that my confession is something that may change many times on my journey. One of these days I’m going to have to sit down and do some serious pondering about what that confession truly is.
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A confession has to be part of your new life.
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Ludwig Wittgenstein
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Picture Credits:
crime confession — www.nytimes.com
spiritual confession — www.yasminnair.net
Impromptu Promptlings 
At first I wasn’t certain I understood what the ‘confession’ was, but then I went back and read what you wrote came at the end of the service, and put it into words that suited my personal path. So it is an admission of faith, and my personal mission to be a living example in the world of what I believe. Is that what you are saying that form of the word is?
A very interesting post. Thank you.
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Yeah, that’s what I meant. I should see if I can clarify it maybe?
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Maybe not, though, because, we learn from coming to our own understanding of what is written. I liked having to figure it out. When I thought I had, that’s when I posted my comment, because it was like a light bulb coming on. If that makes sense.
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