The Confession and Absolution of Sin
If you’re new to Anglican worship or exploring the meaning behind our Sunday service, this part of the liturgy can be especially powerful. In this series on the Anglican liturgy at Christ Church Oakhurst, we are walking step by step through what we do each week and why it matters. You can explore more of these articles about our Sunday worship on our Walk through the Anglican Liturgy page, or read other reflections in our Words from the Rector series.
An Invitation to Confess
The Priest or Deacon begins with an invitation to confess our sins to Almighty God. This invitation reminds us that the Church is not a gathering of the perfect, but a community of people in need of grace. In many ways, the Church is like a hospital—filled with those who recognize their need for healing but cannot heal themselves.
The Anglican liturgy emphasizes that God alone has the power to forgive sins. This truth is central to the gospel. In the New Testament, Jesus provoked strong reactions by forgiving sins (see Matthew 9:1–11; Mark 2:4–6; Luke 5:19–21), revealing His divine authority.
Confession as a Shared Act
Christians have practiced confession since the earliest days of the Church. While corporate confession is not found in the very oldest liturgies, it appears in early Anglican worship, including the 1548 Book of Common Prayer.
Praying the confession together reminds us that we are one body in Christ. Though we bring our individual sins, we acknowledge that sin affects the whole community. As St. Paul writes, “If one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
Corporate confession forms us as a people who both share in one another’s burdens and rejoice together in God’s mercy.
Confession and Holy Communion
In the Anglican tradition, confession is closely tied to Holy Communion. At its heart, confession is about restoring relationship with God and with one another.
The Prayer Book teaches that we should not come to the Lord’s Table without repentance (Book of Common Prayer 2019, p. 147). The historic invitation to communion included the phrase “draw near with faith,” which once involved physically moving closer to the altar. While our movement may look different today, the spiritual reality remains the same: we draw near to God with repentant hearts.
Silence and Self-Examination
After the invitation, a period of silence allows for personal reflection. This is a sacred pause to consider:
- Where have I sinned in thought, word, or deed?
- What has come between me and God?
- How have I failed to love my neighbor?
This quiet moment prepares our hearts for genuine repentance.
The Words of Confession
When we pray the confession together, we often find words for what we struggle to express on our own. The prayer leads us into humility, acknowledging that our sins are serious and that we cannot save ourselves.
We confess that our sins have rightly brought judgment and that our burden is too heavy to bear. This imagery recalls the ancient Christian icon of the Resurrection (Anastasis), where Christ lifts Adam and Eve from the grave. They cannot raise themselves because salvation is entirely the work of Jesus Christ.
In the same way, we come to God trusting not in ourselves, but in His mercy.
The Absolution: Declaring God’s Forgiveness
Following the confession, the bishop or priest pronounces the absolution. In Anglican theology, this is not merely a wish or a hopeful statement. It is a declaration of God’s promise.
The authority to pronounce absolution is rooted in the apostolic ministry. Jesus entrusted His apostles with proclaiming the forgiveness of sins, and this authority continues in the life of the Church through bishops and those who serve under them.
When the priest declares that God forgives sins through Jesus Christ, he is not speaking on his own authority, but as a witness to what God has promised. The absolution assures us that God truly forgives those who repent and turn to Him in faith.
Forgiven and Made New
God’s mercy does more than wipe the slate clean. It transforms us. In the confession, we ask not only for forgiveness but for newness of life.
The absolution echoes this hope. The priest prays that God would “confirm and strengthen you in all goodness.” Forgiveness is not the end of the story; it is the beginning of a renewed life in Christ.
In this way, the Confession and Absolution serve as a springboard for spiritual growth, preparing us to receive Holy Communion and to live faithfully in the world.
