Confession and Repentance

“Human beings must have hope. Without hope, there is no tomorrow, only a fear-ridden or boring present. Without hope, one lives in dread of what will come next, or is stifled with a meaningless life that is not going anywhere except to the grave.”
-Daniel Simundson, Hope for All Seasons

e just had a high holy day last Sunday – Pentecost. Usually these big Sunday festival days are the only ones that we Lutherans know about. However, we’re not so different from our Catholic siblings and our liturgical calendar also recognizes minor holy days – like the feast days of martyrs and saints. They usually fall on weekdays and for faithful people who rarely worship between Sundays, we easily miss them.

Last summer, during the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, all the voting members of our church established a new day of commemoration. The new feast day happens for the first time this month – on June 17th as a commemoration of the Emanuel Nine.

On June 17, 2015, Clementa C. Pinckney, Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lee Lance, DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel Lee Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, and Myra Thompson were murdered by a self-professed white supremacist while they were gathered for Bible study and prayer at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (often referred to as Mother Emanuel) in Charleston, South Carolina.

And five years later, we mark this martyrdom as our black, indigenous, & siblings of color still live in dread of what will come next, or are stifled with a meaningless life that is not going anywhere except to the grave. And this is exactly why we need this day of commemoration and repentance.

Those of us with the privilege of whiteness have yet to change our lives significantly enough to stop the murder of the people of color in our community. In our scripture we read over and over again that the process of transformation begins first with repentance – a complete 180 degree turn from the way things are now. So while we might desire for our communities to be transformed already, for us to love one another, live in peace, value diversity, etc., etc.,...none of that can happen until we all repent. It can’t happen until we all change our thinking and our behavior.

And that is hard to do.

I’m grateful that a portion of our congregation has begun to do that hard work together. I’m hopeful, that with the loving support of this faith community we can continue to do that hard work together which our siblings of color absolutely need us to do before they will feel welcome.

But I also know it won’t happen today. So for today, I’ll just ask you to practice one part, the confession. Print it out and say it before dinner with your family. Bookmark it on your phone and say it in front of the mirror. Use it as a guide to deep prayer or meditation. Bring it with you on your walks and hikes. Practice this repentance until you believe it. Other people’s lives depend on it.

Gracious God, we thank you for making one human family of all the peoples of the earth and for creating all the wonderful diversity of cultures. Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellowship and show us your presence in those who differ most from us.
From the bondage of racism that denies the humanity of every human being and the prejudices within us that deny the dignity of those who are oppressed, Lord set us free: Lord, have mercy.
From racism that blinds oppressors to the destruction caused by the spirit and practice of racial injustice, Christ set us free: Christ, have mercy.
From the racism that will not recognize the work of your Spirit in other cultures: Lord set us free: Lord, have mercy.
Forgive those of us who have been silent and apathetic in the face of racial intolerance and bigotry, both overt and subtle, public and private. And take away the arrogance and hatred that infect our hearts.
Break down the walls that separate us. And help us to find that unity that is the fruit of righteousness and will enable us to become your beloved community.
Empower us to speak boldly for justice and truth and help us to deal with one another without hatred or bitterness, working together with mutual forbearance and respect. And work through our struggles and confusion to accomplish your purposes.
O God of unconditional love, you who show no partiality in respect to people or nations, we have heard your good news of great joy for all the people. We hear that good news, and in hearing, believe. We know that your sanctuary is a house of worship for all people, with no regard for the color of our skin.
As we worship you, knit us into a people, a seamless garment of many colors. May we celebrate our unity, made whole in our diversity. Forgive us for our inability to let our “old selves” die to the world. ​
We acknowledge that we participate in structures that are inherently racist, and yet we so often do nothing to remedy it. Show us we fail when we judge others according to the color of their flesh.

Worship Resources for Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015 "Confession, Repentance and Commitment to End Racism Sunday" © 2015 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.