The God Of The Mismatched Shoes Series

I have heard some amazing stories from people whose lives have turned around by Jesus. There’s Paul. In his fifties, ethnically West Indian but with the most amazing wolverhampton accent. Paul describes how as a teenager he got involved in gangs and then alcohol and drugs and dealing drugs and some very nasty violence. In prison he gave his life to Jesus, and he was turned around. Don’t think a quick fix. After he came out he spent two years in a Christian rehab getting off the addictions. But Jesus changed his life, and now he works in a charity getting youngsters out of gangs. In the midst of our knife crime epidemic, Paul is able to bring hope, not because he turned his life around, but because God turned his life around.

I can tell you lots of dramatic stories like that - they make good sermons. You like hearing them. I like telling them.

But most of our sins are much more respectable than that. We can commit them in our hearts or behind lace curtains. For example I am not going to tell you what I said when I last went to confession, not just because it is private, but because it would probably bore. But I still needed to hear that I was forgiven.

And the thing about our “respectable” sins is that we can become afraid of showing ourselves up. What will other people think of us if they see that we have gone to make our confession. So we hang back, pretending “I’m alright Jack” “I don’t need to do this” or perhaps coming up with some quick-fix false theological justification which is really about us looking for any excuse not to make ourselves vulnerable before God or a priest.

Fr Henri Nouwen, reflecting on Rembrant’s painting of the prodigal son, noticed three figures standing in the background just looking on. He writes “I became more and more aware of how long I had played the role of an observer. For years I had instructed students in different aspects of Spiritual life, trying to help them see the importance of living it. But had I, myself, ever dared to step into the centre, kneel down and let myself be held by a forgiving God” (2)

We can stand back- encouraging outsiders of their need - but we are respectable churchgoers - do we really need to “step into the centre” - and the answer is “YES”.

As a preacher put it, “the Church is museum for saints but a hospital for sinners”.(3) If we want our church to grow, if we want other people to feel comfortable in here, then we need to stop pretending that we are more respectable than we are, we need to stop being lace curtain christians, we need to stop pretending to be a museum for saints.

But there is a way more important reason than that for you having the courage, perhaps for the first time, to make your confession. You need to say your sins out loud - your perhaps boring parochial selfish sins - so you can’t hide it from yourself. And then you need to see that neither the priest nor God turn away and reject you. And hear through the mouth of the priest, God running up, throwing his arms around you and telling you, “You are forgiven”. And everything you say will be totally confidential.