Talking about sin

In church a man stood before the congregation and revealed his past addiction to pornography, and how it destroyed relationships and almost cost him a divorce. He talked about opportunities lost, and the acceptance he was given when he was able to release it to God and receive healing. He talked about the goodness of God since those dark days. When he was done he took his place in serving communion.

I was amazed that a person would have the courage to share his experiences with a church. In my mind that is the mark of a great church. Others can praise God for his witness and not judge him as an evil person.

What I would find as unbelievable is if a person could stand before the congregation and confess one of the more “shameful” sins that they had committed last night and share forgiveness the next day in church without being judged off the stage. That would be an unbelievable church.

We like knowing that our stories have successful conclusions. We like things tied up neatly in a package. We like to look back and see resolution. We are uncomfortable with messes. They look too much like our lives. We are expecting the person who is sharing their story to give us hope that we can triumph too.

The simple fact is that we fail every day and any one of us could stand there and talk about our weaknesses. Also, sin is sin whether it is a more “shameful” sin having to do with cravings, or the more hidden things like resentment, pride and greed. What if a person could confess sin openly to the church, even if they are still struggling? What if the church could accept and love the person, even in the midst of their sin? That would be amazing!