Corporate Repentance in Pastoral Prayers
Resting Together in the Forgiveness of Sin in the Lord Jesus Christ
Good Morning,
In thinking through how to handle the next part of the Directory on the subject of public prayer I don’t want to short shrift the importance of each step. If the writers of the DPW thought it mattered I’m not sure it’s wise for me to ignore it. Yet, the next section is quite long. I went back and forth as to whether or not to include the whole thing and as you can tell by looking down, I did. The main reason is that one of the weaknesses of modern Christianity is that we don’t focus enough on our sin, our odiousness to the God of Heaven and Earth, and because of it we often miss just how majestic and how grand the grace of Jesus Christ is in His taking our transgression upon Himself, the just for the unjust.
Read slowly below as we consider these things together:
“To acknowledge our great sinfulness, First, by reason of original sin, which (beside the guilt that makes us liable to everlasting damnation) is the seed of all other sins, hath depraved and poisoned all the faculties and powers of soul and body, doth defile our best actions, and (were it not restrained, or our hearts renewed by grace) would break forth into innumerable transgressions, and greatest rebellions against the Lord that ever were committed by the vilest of the sons of men; and next, by reason of actual sins, our own sins, the sins of magistrates, of ministers, and of the whole nation, unto which we are many ways accessory: which sins of ours receive many fearful aggravations, we having broken all the commandments of the holy, just, and good law of God, doing that which is forbidden, and leaving undone what is enjoined; and that not only out of ignorance and infirmity, but also more pre sumptuously, against the light of our minds, checks of our consciences, and motions of his own Holy Spirit to the contrary, so that we have no cloak for our sins; yea, not only despising the riches of God’s goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, but standing out against many invitations and offers of grace in the gospel; not endeavouring, as we ought, to receive Christ into our hearts by faith, or to walk worthy of him in our lives.
The ”C” in ACTS is confession and while this portion does encourage us to do that we shouldn’t confuse confessing our particular sins particularly with the call to adore the blessings and mercy of God in His love for us. Part of the reason why the Divines spend so much time in encouraging the minister to pray these type of prayers in the pastoral prayer is that as we have discussed in the Thursday devotion before every part of the Sabbath morning worship service is to move our souls to glory in our Lord. As we communally bow our heads in supplication to the one who made the Heavens and the Earth the preacher is speaking corporately for all present. This does not mean the person in the pew is just a spectator like in a Romish mass. Far from it. As the minister speaks the hearts of the people should be engaged in reflection, and encouragement, almost cheering for the prayer. Westminster Larger Catechism #160 teaches that during the preaching there is a two-fold conversation happening and the same is true of the pastoral prayer.
In seeking to see what the DPW is talking about in regard to the content of acknowledging our sin before the Lord let’s take a step-by-step approach. The first thing we are confess is that we are fallen creatures, not existing in the way God made us. Our major problem is that we are sinners who sin. We need to live in and recognize the righteousness of Jesus Christ which has washed away our stain and granted us the right and privilege of membership in the household of the Father, by the work of the Son, through the application of the Holy Spirit. It’s not as if we were just birds with Exxon Valdez all over us and Jesus is the Dawn which cleansed our feathers. We were dead, and He has given us life, not just a wash.
Which then leads us to the second portion of the prayer for forgiveness. Seeking the Lord to open the hearts of others to do the same. That can get a bit sticky. It can sound pompous and egotistic if not handled correctly. Hence why we pray for ourselves and our own sin first and why the clause, “. . . the sins of magistrates, of ministers, and of the whole nation, unto which we are many ways accessory.” is vital to doing it right. We are to understand that maybe the reason why the folks in authority over us are struggling in their own walk is that we haven’t been praying for them, haven’t been supporting them in godly ways, or other sins of omission and commission. It takes a lot of humility to even suggest such a thing to ourselves, but it also is a sign of mature faith in a lot of ways. The same of course can be said for the minister as he prays this. Maybe the reason why the sheep run astray is because the pastor has not been pastoring. Often times our chickens get out not because they are being ornery. It’s because no one filled up their water bowl or feed bucket. Self-reflection in the Christian life is a means of grace to the heart of a believer.
In closing, the same could be said for another statement the DPW makes when it comes to the peace which comes with confession of sin. It says, “. . . against the light of our minds, checks of our consciences, and motions of his own Holy Spirit to the contrary, so that we have no cloak for our sins.” The more open we are with God about our own weakness the more enjoyment we will receive from the mercies available in Christ alone. Honesty in prayer leads to honesty in life. To not do so is to, “. . . despise[e] the riches of God’s goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering.” It was often the case that the explanation for why Israel did not enjoy the worship of Jehovah is because they did not Remember the Sabbath Day and Keep It Holy. In other words, their failure to keep close to heart the redemption purchased by the blood of the lamb, God’s rescue of them from the day of bondage, caused them to miss out on the rest offered in His worship. Let not the same be said of the Church, the Bride of Christ. Let us confess, do it boldly, for our own mercy.
One more word:
https://reformedreader.wordpress.com/2017/01/12/prayers-of-repentanceconfession/
Blessings in Christ,
Rev. Benjamin Glaser
Pastor, Bethany ARP Church