Each week in church, part of our service is the Order of Corporate Confession. Catholics confess their sins to a priest, but Lutherans confess their sinfulness corporately. The Order of Confession in our church includes a moment for silent reflection when we have an opportunity to speak to God silently to confess any individual sins of the past week. This past Sunday, during the time of silent reflection, this poem came to me.
Words Spoken
Words spoken
In haste
In weariness
Soon forgotten
By you who spoke
Words spoken
Over and over
In my mind
In my heart
Long remembered
By me who heard
Teach me Lord
To forgive and forget
Words spoken
Day by day
Seventy times seven
To infinity
To eternity
Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!”
Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT).