This series of devotions will reflect on the rich material contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW). Some of the texts will be familiar to those in the Lutheran tradition while others will be from infrequently used liturgies.
O God, our Father, by the cross of your Son, you reconciled the world to yourself, enabling us to live in love and harmony. We thank and praise you for the forgiveness of sins and the precious gift of peace. Help us to forgive each other and to establish justice and concord throughout the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Corporate Confession and Forgiveness
LBW, p.195
The liturgy of corporate confession and forgiveness is not used frequently in many Lutheran churches… unfortunately. There is rich symbolism in the act of an entire community coming together in order to recognize its own limitations, failings, and (OK, we'll use the word) sins. Notice that this prayer makes a strong link between forgiveness and justice. In popular culture, forgiveness is seen primarily as an interior act, usually followed by either "forgetting something ever happened" or "moving past" whatever the offending issue was. Not so in this prayer! Forgiveness is a visible act, made manifest in establishing justice - both for the forgiven as well as the forgiver!
Connection: When a person forgives another, it is usually because s/he has been wronged in some way. Christian forgiveness demands not only that we make things right with the person who has wronged us, but that we demand justice for that very same person. How different our world would be if, when wronged, we respond by looking at the roots of the evil committed and seek justice, not just for ourselves, but even for the perpetrators of the evil. The results would transform our world forever.
Prayer: Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
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