ALMIGHTY God, unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then shall the Priest, turning to the people, rehearse distinctly all the TEN COMMANDMENTS: and the people still kneeling shall after every Commandment ask God mercy for their transgression thereof for the time past, and grace to keep the same for the time to come, as followeth.
In worship we have finally bowed down to God. We have repented of our sin. We seek His holiness through the Cross of Christ Jesus.
Though I could have chosen liturgy of many denominations of our Lord’s church, we exam ourselves through the part of the liturgy of communion in the Anglican Church.
Then shall the Priest say to them that come to receive the holy Communion,
YE that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways: Draw near with faith, and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confession to Almighty God, meekly kneeling upon your knees.
I ask you to pause here: Consider our position before God in light of our examination of scripture, sin and righteousness, the heavens above and hell beneath; in the light of the cross of Christ and hopelessness of our own nature to sin against our Lord, rather than to worship Him and bow down to His will. Do our sinful lives not require His grace?
Therefore let us put off the soiled garments of our hypocrisy and confess our sins before Almighty God.
Then shall this general Confession be made, in the name of all those that are minded to receive the holy Communion, by one of the Ministers: both he and all the people kneeling humbly upon their knees and saying,
ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men: We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, Which we from time to time most grievously have committed, By thought, word, and deed, Against thy Divine Majesty, Provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, And are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; The remembrance of them is grievous unto us; The burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; For thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, Forgive us all that is past; And grant that we may ever hereafter Serve and please thee In newness of life, To the honour and glory of thy Name; Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
These words always stuck in my craw as I remembered my sin:
We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness.
“…Which we from time to time…” is most kind; for by thought, word and deed are we not constant sinners?
Do we not well deserve the wrath of God and punishment of hell?
Yet God is a loving Father of all mercies, who sent to us his only Son, even as a sacrifice on the cross for your sin and mine; for the sins of the world, those saved and those yet to be saved.
This is mercy. This is grace. This is the highest reason for a sinner like me, a lowly creation of a loving God, to worship and bow down to God our Father in Heaven and Christ Jesus, Sacrifice of His love for us on the Cross.
It is our duty and obligation of this sinful flesh, formed by God and given the life of His Spirit, to bow down to our Creator as Lord. Because of His love for us, He came to us in the flesh – the sinless flesh of Christ Jesus the only Son of the Father in Heaven. He IS and was and IS to be our Savior and Lord.
Therefore, let us worship Christ our Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God for His Spirit and the eternal life made possible for us only by the Blood of Jesus on the Cross.
As the Apostle Paul instructs us, let us give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
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