Repent

[R]epent and believe in the good news. Mark 1:15

Grace and peace to you on this snowy Saturday. Tomorrow we observe the first Sunday of Lent, a season of self-examination and penitence.

As Episcopalians our roadmap for the Christian life is the Baptismal Covenant (you can find it on page 304 of the Book of Common Prayer). After we narrate in the words of the Apostle’s Creed all that God has done for us (creating the world, giving us Jesus, and sending the Holy Spirit), we promise to live according to God’s will. 

We begin by promising to gather in prayer and to break bread together and continue by promising “to persevere in resisting evil, and whenever [we] fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord.” 

We don’t promise to be perfect or never to sin. We couldn’t keep such a promise!  Instead, we commit to being honest about the ways in which we stray from God’s will for us. We promise to ask for forgiveness from God and be honest with those we’ve hurt by doing so, we seek to restore relationship with others. 

We can ask God’s forgiveness anytime. As a community of faith we practice confession and receive forgiveness every Sunday during worship. The Episcopal Church also offers a sacramental rite in which an individual confesses his or her sins privately to a priest and receives absolution. It’s called the Reconciliation of a Penitent.  It can be a great relief to name the ways we have fallen short aloud to a trusted person and receive the forgiveness of God. God is swift to forgive us. 

If you are curious about the rite of reconciliation, please reach out to me or to the Rev. David Potter. While not necessary to participate in Eucharist, the rite of reconciliation can be especially meaningful during Lent.