Reverse Confessional

Later this month some folks in our congregation are doing something pretty creative. They're preparing a 30 minute, walk through experience called "Living Grace." "Living Grace" is designed to be an immersion in the grace that God provides in and through the risen Jesus. It is experiential, hopefully giving visibility and tangibility to the concept of a gift that is unearned, undeserved, unanticipated, but freely given.

One event within this experience will be something called "The Reverse Confessional." The idea of a Reverse Confession is taken from an event related by Donald Miller in his book, Blue Like Jazz. Miller tells of a party weekend at some college in which some Christian students set up a confessional booth in the midst of the campus debauchery. However, those who went to the confessional booth did not end up confessing their sins to representatives of Jesus and the Church. Instead, Jesus followers made confession to the students who went to the booth. They asked forgiveness for the ways Christian people have thrown barriers in front of persons seeking Jesus. They asked forgiveness for hatred, violence, and bigotry proliferated in the name of Jesus. They confessed and repented of anything churches or church people had done to hurt, belittle, or chase off any who came to the confessional booth.

Interesting concept...maybe offensive to some Christian people. I think somebody once told me that Gandhi once said he could become a Christian if it weren't for the way he saw many Christians acting. Now, let me quickly say that many followers of Jesus live and act in ways that reflect the welcoming, saving power of Jesus. Until all of us do, though, we may need things like reverse confessional booths in order to connect with the people Jesus wants us to reach.

I'll see you around the next bend in the river.