Breathe! Confession

reflection & confession

Breathe: an exploration in spiritual disciplines

Many may think that reflecting on mistakes and owning them is a depressing practice. Our culture influences us to be performance-driven. But as a disciple of Jesus, we must remember that we are “dust” and that God is shaping us into new creations. Faith is not about our performance or success but the constant choosing of God to love, accept and transform us. Reflection and confession are paths to real growth and transformation. These practices are also roads to forgiveness and healing.

“to confess your sins to god is not to tell him anything he doesn’t already know. until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you. when you confess them, they become the golden gate bridge.” --Frederick Buechner

read & reflect

Psalm 103 What benefits of God does the writer long to remember? What clues to God’s character are revealed in verse 6’s definition of anger? What images are used to describe the frailty of humans? Why is it important to remember this when confessing? What does it teach us about confession to see how this psalm stays focused on God and his goodness?

Exercise: Hold an object in your hand that symbolizes a wrong you’ve done—keys for road rage, phone for gossip. Confess aloud to God your sin then toss the object aside and read aloud verses 11-13.

1 corinthians 13:1-7 Read this a second time replacing the word love and it with God. What are some common statements about God that make it sound as if God is rude, self-seeking or easily angered? Notice the activity of Love (and God) listed in verse 5. How could we imitate God in this way and treat ourselves more graciously?

Exercise: Review your day/week and confess thoughts or deeds that were not motivated by love. Ask God to reveal to you the neediness in your heart that caused this.

psalm 51 On what truth does David base his plea for forgiveness? What phrases describe the way to restoration? What prevents us from having a broken heart? What are the chief benefits of admitting our sins to God? What negative character qualities might be slowly overcome as we practice this discipline of confessing to God? How might it build courage? humility?

Exercise: Picture an image to represent how God receives our confessions. Figure out something you could say to another person that would allow you to be more transparent than you’ve been before. Pray and ask God for courage to say it.

2 samuel 11:22-12:14 What is the most difficult aspect of admitting your sin to another person? (embarrassment, finding the words, trust…) What difference does it make that David made a distinct confession? What role did Nathan play in David’s confession? How might admitting sin change your character?

Exercise: Write out a confession. Ask God to show you who might be a wise, trustworthy person to whom you could reveal it. Make a list of situations that annoy you. Take a walk and ask God to show you connections between those situations and your own sinful behaviors.

psalm 65: 1-13 What is the writer’s previous feelings vs. his present feelings? Why is it important to include expressions of what we intend to do to change our ways? Is there any concrete event of the day that revealed some part of my life that I am withholding from God? What is the best thing that has happened to you lately? What role did God play in that?

Exercise: Think about yesterday and recollect by considering: what surprised me? Touched me? Nurtured me? Reflect on what that tells you about God and yourself. Give thanks for the benefits, ask grace for sin revealed, resolve to change with God’s grace.

“We are inviting the lord to search our hearts to the depths. far from being dreadful, this is a scrutiny of love.”—Richard foster

What do these verses tell us about the process of self-reflection?

Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. (Lamentations 3:40)

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. (2 Cor. 13:5)

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)

The Shape of Worth - Worship

Breathe: An Exploration of Spiritual Disciplines

Worship is a response to God. A vivid sense of God’s love creates in us a deep longing for Him. Worship is form of celebration for who God is and what He does. Worship and celebration flow from and feed into other spiritual disciplines, especially study. “Study without worship breeds arrogance but study with worship can result in more substantive worship” (Johnson 259). Worship is also enhanced by the practices of solitude and silence because they teach us to be still and seek God. Meditation on scripture, prayer and confession are all forms of worship. Worship enhances our sense of community and inspires us to service.

The study of God in his word and works opens the way for the disciplines of worship and celebration. in worship we engage ourselves with, dwell upon, and express the greatness, beauty, and goodness of god through thought and the use of words, rituals, and symbols. (Dallas Willard, The spirit of discipline).

To respond to God is to focus on the great worth of God. Often, though, we find ourselves wanting to be entertained. Instead of responding to God, we hope “God’s representatives”—the pastor, worship leader-- will lift our spirits and give us spiritual goose bumps. When we assume this attitude, we drain the essence of worship—which is all about responding to God.

transforming exercises

· Try to picture “your right hand upholds me.” How exactly is God’s right hand holding you or upholding you? How do you need to respond to being held in such a way?

· Read Psalm 61 or 62. Ask yourself what picture of God is presented here? How should I respond?

· While lying in bed (before falling asleep or after waking or during sleeplessness) whisper, “I remember you, O God.” (v. 6)

· If you were to bring to corporate worship an object that symbolized your dedication to God or the friendship between you and God, what would it be?

· Try a different tradition or experience of corporate worship sometime this season.

· Before attending a worship service, plan beforehand that when your mind wanders or you feel distracted or annoyed, to pray for someone near you or up front.

· Use a concordance to look up the words celebrate (or celebration), Lord. Journal your findings and seek to get a sense of how God celebrates.

· Consider what you can do to prepare yourself for corporate worship. Make a plan to be fully focused on God.

“Worship is the practice of regularly seeking to bring the focus of our being upon God. It is the discipline of returning to the true center of our individual and corporate existence as God’s people.” (Robert Mulholland)

The Kenosis Hymn - Finding Freedom in Submission

Community & submission

The spiritual discipline of community is not as warm and ‘kum-by-ah-ish” as it sounds. It’s about committing ourselves to people and sticking with them, no matter what. For real community to happen, we need to be intentional about giving up our Western tendency to worship individualism and independence. Community is deeply interwoven with the discipline of submission. To submit to others is to offer them community—even if you don’t like them, even they don’t deserve it, even if they’re wrong. Community can’t exist without vulnerability, the core of submission. When we submit to God, he cleans our hearts and opens us to be authentic with others. His Spirit enables us to be humble in our interactions.

Think about the community that Jesus chose to live in while he was on earth. It wasn’t about finding people who think alike. (Imagine the debates between Simon the political zealot and Matthew the tax-collecting puppet of the Roman Empire!) One of the best ways to learn to truly love is to walk along side of those who are different from us. Community calls us to submit by opening our doors to anyone who desires to come…even if they have nothing to offer us in return. It requires us to see everyone through the eyes of God and to value them like he does.

“In true community we are windows constantly offering each other new views on the mystery of god’s presence in our lives: a truth, a beauty, and a love which is greater, fuller, and richer than we ourselves can grasp.” --henri nouwen

Transformation Exercises

· Put your hand on a scar or a bruise or place on your body that was formerly injured. Thank God for the healing that has taken place. Thank God for the way this enables your whole body to move forward in life without delay or distraction. Then pray for your church and its injuries and distractions.

· When you come to church, notice the people around you and what they do. After noticing each person, pause and say a prayer of thanks that this person loves God and cares enough to do what they’re doing. Thank God that you are together with these people.

· Speak some encouragement to someone this week. Pray for that person.

· Talk to someone about forming an intentional friendship where you meet weekly. Research and consider the model of the Friends (Quakers) Spiritual Friendship.

· Read 1 Cor. 12:20-27.

· What does it mean to consider weak folks indispensable, to honor the less honorable and to treat unpresentable folks with special modesty?

· How is it an act of submission to suffer with others and rejoice with those who are honored?

· Community comes about as people act as iron sharpening iron in an atmosphere of love and submission (Proverbs 27:17). How can we “sharpen” each other?

· What attitudes of love are important to express if community is to flourish when we discuss differences with each other (1 Cor. 13:4-7)

· What steps do you need to take to be more resilient when community gets gritty?

o Have a more realistic view of community?

o Understand that you have value to others even though you don’t feel like you’re very useful?

o Value those with spiritual gifts different from yours?

o Suffer with those who suffer and rejoice with those who are honored?

o Show more love?

o Other: ___________________________________________________

SOLITUDE & SILENCE

Solitude & silence are disciplines that require us to abstain from being with people and noise. It’s consciously putting ourselves in a place where we can’t accomplish the things that make us feel worthwhile (checking off our to-do list, having conversations, etc.). In abstaining, we learn to find rest in knowing we are worth something to God, even when we aren’t accomplishing something.We let go of the need to talk and to fill empty spaces with our chatter…allowing God to fill the space. We let go of our focus on accomplishing things. We put aside our planning and scheming and focus on listening to God and meeting our true selves…which isn’t always easy or pretty.Being silent and alone means that we are inviting God to relate to us in a personal way and we are opening our eyes, ears and hearts to being transformed…first in the solitude…then in all of life.

Key ideas:

· Loneliness (inner emptiness) vs. Solitude (inner fulfillment)

o In solitude we do not fear being alone, for we know we are not alone.

o To not only refrain from speech, but to learn to listen.

o We separate and quiet ourselves to see God and to hear from him.

§ To draw hear to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools. (Eccles. 5:1)

o To create a “portable sanctuary” that goes with you everywhere.

· Silence disciplines the tongue

o Tongue is our most powerful weapon of manipulation; to give up speaking it to let go of control.

“Real silence, real stillness, really holding one’s tongue comes only as the sober consequence of spiritual stillness,” Deitrich Bonhoeffer

· Solitude and silence prepare us for the inevitable “dark nights” of the soul.

o “When God lovingly draws us into a dark night of the soul, there is often a temptation to seek release from it and to blame everyone and everything four our inner dullness…the preacher, the singing, the worship…we look for a new experience to give us “spiritual goose bumps.” This is a mistake. Recognize that God is lovingly drawing you away from every distraction so you can see him clearly…become still and wait” (Foster 103).

The fruit of solitude is increased sensitivity & compassion for others.

It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers. The more solitary I am the more affection I have for them…Solitude and silence teach me to love my brothers for what they are, not for what they say. Thomas Merton

some ideas for incorporating solitude & silence into your life…

1. Take advantage of the “little moments of solitude” in our day (early morning, driving, showering, etc.)

2. Find a place you can designate as a “quiet place” designed for this practice.

3. Try to live one entire day without words.

4. Four times a year withdraw for 3-4 hours to reflect and listen for God’s reflection on your life.

5. Consider participating in a organized silent retreat or plan your own day or weekend of solitude.

possible practices/activities to get you started…

o Sit in a quiet place and read Zephaniah 3:17….The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. What song do you need for God to sing over you?

o Do a physical activity like walking, riding a bike, gardening while reflecting on God’s goodness in the activity and in your life. If you find yourself losing focus, gently pull your thoughts back to God and enjoy.

o Step outside just before you go to bed. Look at the stars and feel the stillness of the night.

o Read Isaiah 30:15-22 and pick a phrase that describes the kind of life you’d like to have.Repeat that phrase to God and sit silently and enjoy the prospect.

o Journal your own down-to-earth, conversational paraphrase of Isaiah 30: 15-22.Rephrase it as needed. Rewrite verses 16-17 inserting your sources of hurry and panic. Rephrase verse 18, and replace verses 19-20 with what you believe might be God’s response if you waited on him. Rephrase verse 21, then replace verse 22 with an act of radical obedience that might result.

o Describe in your journal a mental picture or a sensory image that would represent what it means to abide in God. Or make a photo album or scrapbook of these images/symbols. Examples: God singing over you (Zeph. 3:17), resting protected in the shadow of his wings (Psalm 36:7; 63:7), drinking from and romping in God’s river of delights (Ps. 36:8), gazing on God’s beauty; dwelling in his house (Ps. 27:4)

o Pray for someone who is difficult or who has opposed you. Ask God to show you this person’s heart.

o Imagine a future conversation that you’ll have. Visualize being “slow to speak and quick to listen”. Picture yourself focusing deeply on their words without jumping ahead to what you’re going to say.

o Find a hymnal and read (or sing) all the hymns you can find that have the word abide in them.

Without a certain element of solitude there can be no compassion because when a man is lost in the wheels of a social machine he is no longer aware of human needs as a matter of personal responsibility. Go into the desert, not to escape others but in order to find them in God.

-- Thomas Merton