Sunday, January 16, 2011
Psalm 40:1-12
CONFESSION: BECOMING VULNERABLE BEFORE GOD
Gord Alton, preaching

This week we explored a second component of worship/prayer, namely confession. Confession is not a common activity in life. When we confess, we shared deeply of ourselves, our thoughts, our emotions, our experience. There are not many settings where this happens. When we look at Psalm 40, we notice that confession involves many components. Confession begins with trust. Without trust, we would not be willing to confess. Confession continues with our willingness to risk, becoming vulnerable, sharing deeply of ourselves with another person or with God. Confession involves waiting and watching for God to respond to our plea directly or through other people or events in our life. Confession leads to us discovering that God does respond to our prayers---a negative feeling breaks or lessens, insights come to us, a sense of peace, strength, or presence arises, etc. Upon this realization, confession results in us singing a new song about life, not one of despair but of hope and thanksgiving. Finally, people notice this new song we sing and so they consider sharing confessions themselves with God and others in their life. My prayer is that confesssion can become a regular part of your life for confession is the doorway to spiritual transformation and oneness with God.

PSALM 40:1, 11-12, 2-10

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
Do not, O Lord, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe for ever. For evils have encompassed me without number;my iniquities have overtaken me, until I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails me.

He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. Happy are those who make the Lord their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods. You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted. Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required. Then I said, ‘Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart. I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.

New Revised Standard Version