A few winters ago, my 6th grader and I stumbled upon a British detective show called Father Brown. The show’s protagonist, Father Brown, is an English priest in a mid-20th century parish. Not only is Father Brown passionate about the spiritual and soul health of his parishioners, he is also a curious-minded and accidental sort of detective when it comes to crimes of murder. In most episodes we see him pedaling furiously through the English countryside on his bicycle with his long black cassock flowing out behind him (never getting caught in the wheels). It seems he’s always trying to find the guilty party before the local police inspector can. See, the inspector is interested in locking someone up, but Father Brown’s concern is redemption. He races to give the sinner an opportunity to unburden themselves of their crime, repent, and be made right with God.
As a society, I think we recognize that confession and remorse can be cathartic, and that it’s a gateway for social support. It’s why organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous and Sex Addicts Anonymous exist. Many times, celebrities will willingly confess or express remorse for their behavior and receive outpourings of support on social media.
But Christian confession, confession that's done by Christians within the context of Christian community, takes any obvious social and psychological benefits of confession to the next level. Here, the practice of confession moves us in the direction of inner (and sometimes physical!) healing and wholeness by God’s grace; it becomes a gift by which we experience the redemptive work of God in our lives.
Check out the podcast for the full message here or on your favorite listening platform.*
*This message was originally preached to CityChurch in downtown Iowa City on February 13, 2022.
Hey! Thanks for being here. I’m a book-obsessed pastor, podcaster, author, and holistic life and leadership coach. For essays and podcasts that come straight to your inbox, subscribe to this Dear Exiles newsletter in the subscription box above. Fun fact: I’m also the author of Dear Boy:, An Epistolary Memoir and the host of the Your Pastor Reads Books podcast.
Opening to God through Confession