Psalm Meditation 922
First Sunday in Lent
February 18, 2018

Psalm 32
1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD.
11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
(NRSV)

The worst part about a secret sin is that it forces us into a life of hiding and deceit. When we can’t or won’t let anyone in on our secret we expend a lot of energy keeping up the appearance that nothing is wrong, that all is well, that we are perfect in some sense. The psalmist admits to wasting away and feeling dried up in the silence and loneliness of an unconfessed sin. It is true for the rest of us as well. Keeping our sin a secret closes us off from any help we might receive from those around us.

The acknowledgment, confession, of sin opens us to all sorts of help and support. People around us are free to let us know that we are not alone, not the only ones to have committed this variety of sin. There is always the attempt by some to keep us confined by shame and ridicule however the support we are offered by others outweighs the downside of confession. People will surprise us with their own stories of sin, confession, and redemption as we confess our sins to the community around us. When we confess we bridge the distance our silence has created between us and God.

Having confessed and been supported by the community and God we have something to offer those around us. As people see the depth of our relationship with God they will want to know what we have done that they have not. We can teach others the strength that comes from unburdening ourselves of the weight of our unconfessed and secret sins. We can lead others to the joy of God’s steadfast love at work in us and “Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.”

February 12, 2018
LCM