ive noticed recently my church has stopped doing general confession before communion and ive still took communion have i commeted a sin?
Of course not. You knew what you were doing when you received the Eucharist in faith. Most of us don't have that much to confess generally, except our inability to know and do God's will for us as a generality, and that should be a constant understanding, not just a weekly formal form of words. .
I don't know why your church has stopped doing this. I do wish individual priests wouldn't mess around with the liturgy but would do the red and say the black. Only you can know if you have committed any sins. When we go to the Eucharist we are not obliged to receive Holy Communion. Therefore, if on a particular occasion you don't feel worthy to receive Our Lord don't go up for communion.
Same has been going on in my church since the current priest showed up. I end up saying the confession silently while waiting for the ushers to tell me to get in the communion line.
That is really odd. You should ask them why he does that. You are missing out on the absolution that only a priest can give. Now I know you can go straight to God but it is nice to hear that forgiveness pronounced at the absolution. It is equal to going to private confession
I get the sense my local (TEC) priest doesn’t like to remind people of sin too much. his homilies are nice, affirming, and sympathetic, focusing heavily on the difficulty in being a disciple, frequently reminding us that the Apostles themselves were often pretty lousy disciples. Homilies like that seem to be clearly aimed at those who have come to regard religion as a control mechanism, using guilt and fear to get the sheep in line. Some people are very suspicious of church for that reason, and I think they are the audience for a homily like that. I think it’s an approach that is fine for young children, but given the median age of that congregation it leaves me a bit puzzled.
Indeed. I asked him about it awhile back and he played dumb, saying he didn't realize and that he didn't miss it.
Sometimes I feel like I am getting to be a Cranky Old Man. Sometimes I have observed the Confession with the Absolution skipped to save time! please~! Sometimes I have observed contemporary expressions of seeking forgiveness and some kind of expression about everything being all right. grrrr!! Nearly my pet hate is using the Apostles Creed rather than the Nicene Creed when no baptism is involved. grrr!! grrr!! And sometimes I note a wandering off in some other direction with some lovely words (I believe for every drop of rain that falls a flower grows!), and I think, maybe I should have stayed in bed! Anglicans are self-confessing miserable sinners, who stand before God in the dazzling light of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. We know whose we are.
Is it correct to skip the general confession during certain liturgical seasons? I find confession and absolution to be an important part of the liturgy for me (because I am a miserable sinner, and acutely aware of it) and my church normally has this but I've noticed at certain times like on Easter we skipped it. Is that normal?
Some great satirical sarcasm! And to think that the Carolinians would have taken it as straight-faced seriousness and would have agreed wholeheartedly.
Why is that? I realize Easter is a season of celebration, and perhaps we may sin a little less during that season given the preparation of lent, and spiritual high of Easter, but we still sin during the season of Easter.
I don't think I was being sarcastic at all, perhaps a little light-hearted and satirical, however I did mean what I said.