The Meaning of the Word, 'Is'

When Christ instituted the Lord's Supper, He said 'This is My body.'  Apparently, Christians believe most everything else Christ said and did from their reading of the Bible, except for that one thing.  Sure, God created the heavens and the earth with His word.  His Word states that Christ was resurrected.  Christ promised He will return to receive His bride, His Church.  Christ's Word raised Lazarus from the grave.  Christ's Word healed others that He came across.  Yeah... those things, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have done.  We believe those things, because God has proclaimed those things in the Bible.  The very book that Christians claim to be God-breathed and is inerrant.

Then why is it that the meaning of words change when it comes to this:

And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.  (Luke 22:14-23 ESV - bold italics mine)

Apparently, Christ didn't mean that, and what He really said was 'This is not My body, but just a metaphor, a mere symbol!'

Why does Christ all of sudden go symbolic or metaphoric?  He doesn't.  Words have meaning.  We, as readers, don't change the meanings of words because they need to fit our rational minds.  'Is' does mean 'is.'  If we truly trust God and His Word, and that we trust Him that He will do a good work, for He is just and merciful and holy; then why not trust His entire counsel.  Trust His Word in totality.  He is a trustworthy God, and He is faithful and true.

The Tree of Life With Ev'ry Good

A beautiful new hymn that was introduced to me by my wife.  It was sung during the distribution of the Lord's Supper last week.  (Unfortunately I missed going to the Divine Service last week).  The hymn is written by Pr. Stephen Starke.  A beautiful hymn of justification and Christ's work on the cross...




The tree of life with ev'ry good
In Eden's holy orchard stood,
And of its fruit so pure and sweet
God let the man and woman eat.
Yet in this garden also grew
Another tree, of which they knew,
Its lovely limbs with fruit adorned
Against whose eating God had warned.

The stillness of that sacred grove
Was broken as the serpent strove
With tempting voice to Evil beguile
And Adam too by sin defile.
O day of sadness when the breath
Of fear and sadness, doubt and death,
Its awful poison first displayed
Within the world, so newly made.

What mercy God showed to our race,
A plan of rescue by His grace
In sending One from woman's seed,
The One to meet our greatest need -
For on a tree uplifted high
His only Son for sin would die,
Would drink the cup of scorn and dread
To crush the ancient serpent's head.

Now from that tree of Jesus' shame
Flows life eternal in His name:
For all who trust and will believe
Salvation's living fruit receive.
And of that fruit, so pure and sweet,
The Lord invites the world to eat,
To find within this cross of wood
The tree of life with ev'ry good. (LSB 561)

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.   (Revelation 22:1-2)

The Will of God...

The following is a devotional from Higher Things.  A wonderful reminder who actually does the will of God...

August 14, 2011 - Sunday of the Eighth Week after Trinity

Today's Reading: Matthew 7:15-23

Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 1:1-27; 1 Corinthians 7:25-40

Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Just because you call Jesus Lord doesn't mean you're in. Whoa! Wait a minute! What does THAT mean? It means simply this: Not everyone who claims to be a Christian really is. So how do you know? How can you be sure? Jesus says that everyone who does the will of His Father will enters the kingdom of heaven.

Okay. Checklist time. Do you love God above all things? Do you love your neighbor as yourself? Don't lie. That's God's will. Have you done it? If not, don't get all and say, “Lord, Lord!” to Jesus.

But Jesus tells us also that God's will is that we believe in the One whom He sent, that is, believe in Jesus. And here we begin to realize that the doing of God's will is not something we'll ever be able to do. It is something that must be done for us, otherwise we're doomed. Or, to put it another way, if you call out “Lord, Lord” because you think you've done God's will, you're in trouble. But if you call out “Lord, Lord,” because only the Lord can save you then you have the promise of a Savior.

First of all, Jesus did the Father's will. All of it. He loved the Father perfectly. He loved others perfectly, even giving His life for ours. He obeyed the Father's will to save sinners. He obeyed and kept every Law and commandment. That is Jesus doing the Father's will. The will of God is that those who don't keep His Law are doomed. So Jesus did that, too, when He suffered for our sins and died for them. Then He rose again, defeating death.

Now He still carries out that will by the Spirit who has brought you to faith in the waters of Holy Baptism and who keeps you saying, “Lord, Lord” the right way by the words of Absolution and the Supper of Jesus' body and blood.

In accomplishing salvation and delivering it to you, Jesus is doing the Father's will. And because you are in Him, you have done the Father's will. And your “Lord, Lord” is the confession of a Savior who won't let you down. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Grant to us, Lord, we implore You, the Spirit to think and do always such things as are right, that we, who cannot do anything that is good without You, may be enabled to live according to Your will; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen. (Collect for Trinity 8)

Christ Died For The Sins Of Christians Too – Dr. Rod Rosenbladt

This blog post by Dr. Rosenbladt on Tullian Tchividjian's blog site is absolutely wonderful.  Well worth the read! The Gospel in its utter simplicity.

Christ Died For The Sins Of Christians Too – Dr. Rod Rosenbladt

Kelly's Blog » What makes the Christian faith relevant to daily life?

Kelly's Blog » What makes the Christian faith relevant to daily life?

Another excellent blog post I read recently.  It is a response to 'relevance' and how much of the Church  is doing what it is doing in the name of it, and more specifically, it is a response to the recent crazy NASCAR prayer.

Here's a segment from the blog post:

There’s an alternative way for faith to be relevant to daily life without all conversations with God sounding like texts to your BFF, or for the administration of the sacraments to resemble Senior Week at the ocean, or for the catechesis of children to look like a trip to Six Flags, etc. etc. In fact, nothing could make faith seem smaller and more irrelevant than this. If the message of Christ crucified and the forgiveness of sins is true, then the message is always relevant and always gloriously good. Attempting a bait-and-switch with the Gospel is to tell people that the candy coating is the truly good stuff, and the Gospel is the bitter pill that you’ve tricked them into accepting along with the candy. In fact, could it be that people might actually find some value in something of transcendence, something counter-cultural, timeless, and stable– something that’s not about advertising and bait-and-switch? (italics mine)

Grace Must Be Obtained Before Baptism?

Great piece from C.F.W. Walther.  Found on the Gnesio blog:  Grace Must Be Obtained Before Baptism?

Walther nails it.  It is preposterous how the Anabaptists and those today can turn a precious gift that Christ has given us, into a work.  The blog post is worth the read.

I liked this quote specifically:

Every heresy that has sprung up was caused by the heretic’s inability to believe that man becomes righteous in the sight of God, and is saved, by grace alone. That is the real rock of offense against which all heretics, all false teachers, dash their head. But there is no escape from this dilemma: either believe this truth or see what will become of you.

What the Gospel is and is not...

The gospel is NOT:

• therapy.
• God having a dream for your life.
• God having a plan for your life.
• casting a vision for your life or for church.
• having our best life now.
• having a purpose for our lives.
• becoming debt free.
• building and having healthy relationships.
• about getting rid of the 'Eeyore' mindset.
• making a decision for Christ.
• that we can be used by God.
• about being effective and successful.
• about being on mission for Jesus.
• having a better walk with Jesus.

The Gospel is:

• Christ and Him crucified for our sins.
• All the world being redeemed by Christ's shed blood on the cross.
• It is Jesus and His work for us.
• Christ and His victory over sin, death, and the devil.

The Gospel has being truly hijacked by much of the 'Church.'  I hear so many sermons about all the things we can do, need to do, ought to do, etc.  It is truly grating.  If we can do anything at all to please God on our own, then Christ's death on the cross was completely pointless, and He was nailed on it in vain.  It would be one thing if these sermons preached that we were sinners in need of God.  And His redemption of us leads us to good works.  But they do not do that.  These sermons are a form of paganism.  They teach what we can and should offer to God to earn His favor.  Sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly.

We are saved unto to good works.  Not the other way around.  We cannot appease God.  Our good works are as filthy rags.  His righteousness is perfect and is freely given to us.

May Christ give us eyes to see and ears to hear His true Word.  Christ have mercy on us. 

10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.   - Galatians 3:10-14

Veggie Tales and Jericho and God's Word...

I came across this devotional from Higher Things.  I wanted to pass along to the meager few readers of my blog.

From their site:  The mission of Higher Things, Inc. is to assist parents, congregations, and pastors in cultivating and promoting a Lutheran identity among youth through conferences, retreats, publications, and the internet.


Daily Lectionary: Joshua 6:6-27; Acts 10:18-33

So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. (Joshua 6:20)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It may be that most youth today are familiar with the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho from “Veggie Tales.” In that version, Joshua and the children (“vegetables?”) of Israel are rewarded for following God's explicit instructions. Leave it to a cartoon to turn the story of Joshua into a story about us!

No, the walls of Jericho fall down because the Lord smashed them. He used the marching trumpets and the ark to do it, but let's not be fooled into thinking it was “obedience” rather than God's power that did it. That's the danger we constantly face. We always want to turn what God does into something we've done. We always want to take the promises God makes and make them conditional upon our response.

When Jesus died on the cross, He said, “It is finished.” And He meant it. The preaching of the Good News of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name is the declaration that our trying to make things happen with God is done. We can't do it. Jesus did it.
When Jesus died for our sins, the walls of hell collapsed. The enemies of God were routed. The kingdom of Satan was plundered. Jesus descended into hell and laid it out for the devil: “You're done. I've won. End of story.”

The devil, of course, wants to fool us and get us to believe that it's not so. So we read again of the fall of Jericho and the destruction of the Lord's enemies. When the devil whispers that there's something left for you to do to get right with God, just remind him of what happened at Jericho. And Calvary. And the font and altar. And that evil one will slink away in defeat. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Rise! To arms with prayer employ you, O Christians, lest the foe destroy you; For Satan has designed your fall. Wield God's Word, the weapon glorious; Against all foes be thus victorious, For God protects you from them all. Fear not the hordes of hell, Here is Emmanuel. Hail the Savior! The strong foes yield to Christ, our shield, And we, the victors hold the field. (LSB 668:1)

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My personal addendum...

While Veggie Tales may be guilty of tweaking the story of Joshua and Jericho and what God did...  the very same thing happens in many, many churches across American evangelicalism do the same thing with story, and the rest of scripture.  They turn all that God has done by His spoken word into what we ought to do for God.

⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We would do well to remember that it has been finished.  We can rest in His faithfulness.  We can rest in what He has already done.  We are His workmanship... He is the author and perfecter of our faith... not us.  And that is some good news...

Church...

I think it is good to read and listen to those who you don’t necessarily agree with. One can learn things that you wouldn’t necessarily have learned if you didn’t take in another’s viewpoint.


I say this to specifically point out that I continue to read blogs of those who see things differently than I do in regards to ecclesia(ekklesia) and how church should look.  In some ways, I see the same issues the anti-institutional guys see.  Seeker-sensitive churches that are all-consumed with being relevant and concerned with growth instead of preaching and proclaiming Christ and His death and resurrection.  That is the very reason I left the local church a few years ago.


I was in the same place many of these individuals are.  I couldn't stand church.  I would go almost completely out of obligation.  Not that I felt I had to please God, but something of the sort.  At the time, I couldn't have accurately explained the reason.  But I know exactly why now.  Almost every sermon I heard would mention Jesus, and would briefly talk about how He died on the cross for my sins.  But immediately after that, I would hear about all the social justice issues that I needed to take part in.  How I should sell my house, uproot my family, and move into a different part of town to take part in mission with God and what He was doing.  How the church needed me to do more.  To be sure, often these imperatives were stated subtly, but there were times where they were much more overt.  All of this in the name of 'church growth.'

There is much wrong in the evangelical church today.  Not all, but certainly much.

However.

It isn't the system that is necessarily the bad thing.  All of these bad things occur in a system, but the system, in and of itself, is not the problem.  Sin is the problem.  The same issues can and do occur in non-institutional settings.  We are sinners in need of a Savior.  While there are many bad things that occur in the institutional church, I see many things unhealthy on the other side.  I see many who blog about the merits of House or Simple or Non-IC church who emphasize what the believer needs to be doing instead of receiving.  This is NOT to say that we do not bear fruit that the Holy Spirit grows in us.  We bear fruit of good works that signal that the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives.  But the emphasis shouldn't be on how to build a better church, but about being faithful to what God has given us and acknowledge that He gives the growth.

I want to share a bit of scripture that I think many in the non-IC crowd will use to show what the church should be about, but is more promise than command, in my non-scholarly/ layman's view:

⁶So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" ⁷He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:6-8

 Jesus says that you WILL be my witnesses.  Not that you ought to be or that you need to be witnesses.  Our faith is a gift of God's.  We are all dead in trespasses and sins.  Only God through His Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and brings us to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  He certainly works through His Church, but it He that gives the increase, not the Church that can increase itself.  It is His work.  Not ours.

So while I do have much to empathize with those have grown tired of the institutional church, for there are many things wrong with it,  they are emphasizing the wrong syllable, so to speak.  The focus shouldn't be on how to fix the Church, for we aren't able to...  for Christ is the one who is the author and perfecter of our faith.  The focus is to continue to trust God and His Word.  That He will never leave us nor forsake us.  And He will bring the increase.  Whether that be in our own faith or visible growth in the Church.

A Good Reminder...

A good reminder from Rev. Eric Brown at Confessional Gadfly: Blizzard Post:

I know I haven't posted much lately (I did make this blog post over at 4 and 20 Blackbirds because. . . well, it's been snowy and things have been slow.  But let me tell you what I've been pondering. Activity and Passivity. I'm not going to write too much because a lot of these ideas are going to come out in this Sunday's sermons.

We can want to be so active - we can want to define who we are by what we do.  That's fine for life in the world - that's fine when it comes to our loving our neighbor. But when dealing with God, we are to be passive - we are to be still. We aren't to be the doers - we are to be those who hear what Christ has done. We aren't to be the talkers, we are to hear the Words of Christ. We aren't to do do do, we receive our Lord's Body and Blood because He has done it all.

So, if you too are snowed in, and you see the piles of things that could be done... relax. Read a bit of Scripture - listen to the Word of God. Relax, be refreshed by Christ, and delight in Him.

- Rev. Eric Brown of the Confessional Gadfly blog

A Very Grateful Christmas

Wow, I have such a hard time being grateful for some gifts I receive at Christmas. I really have begun thinking though, that I can be quite picky and really want to show my children how to receive presents graciously and gratefully.

I think in our culture there are so many choices, so much to be had, that we have learned to be quite picky and yes, even if we feel like we are picking the quality things out of of all the junk, can still just end up being ungrateful.

It is still VERY DIFFICULT for me and all the gifts at Christmas still make me nervous (the quantity and the quality) but I've tried to convey the message that one quality gift is worth far more than 10 not so quality gifts. I've given up trying to explain but I think some family members have become afraid of me! Yikes, I've become too opinionated about some things!! Anyway, it's hard to have a simple Christmas when there is just so much out there. I don't know if this is a good analogy but it reminds me of when I was trekking in Nepal. The Annapurnas is a popular trek and there are teahouses (basic bed and breakfasts) all along the way. But there are people who do the trek and bring their full camping and cooking gear the whole way (a good 18 day trek). We would be eating breakfast prepared by our small hotel with a group in a pitched tent right next to us struggling and truly roughing it, even in the pouring rain. I admired them and thought it would be fun to camp but it almost seemed pointless and exceedingly difficult when there are amenities all along the way. You just want to say, "hey, come on inside where it's warm and dry; it only costs a few dollars". That's how I feel about my lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, we are very blessed financially. We have more than enough to live and our fair share of "stuff". However, living on a social worker's salary does not look like "more than enough" to most people. I've travelled and know how truly wealthy we are but we do not do and have all the stuff some, but certainly not all, of my friends and family do (lawn service, monthly hair appointments, clothing budget, latest technologies, and lots of monthly bills and payments). Sometimes my lifestyle starts to seem pointless when I see the amenities thrown out all along the way by friends and family.

What I am getting at is this: all year we would have to budget and scrimp and buy used and consigned items and then at Christmas all these things given seemed like a waste. But then, Christmas is a beautiful gift. It doesn't make sense. It's not something we deserve, earn, work hard for, scrimp and save for. That is the thing I truly need to remember. I wish that gifts were truly gifts again. A gift is not "Let's spend $20 on each other" or just something you give to reciprocate to those who give you something. A gift is a gift. Period. It should be something we could never repay. You love someone, you're thinking of them and you give them a gift. It may not even be a material item but could be your time and thoughtfulness. It may not show up at Christmas time at all.

Of course, God's perfect gift of his Son is the only gift that lives up to that highest standard. It is a gift in the truest sense of the word. We deserve nothing close to it and could NEVER repay it. Thank you God for your most precious gift and help me to just receive that gift. I, with embarrassment, asked my pastor what my purpose is. I asked, "If there is nothing I can do, if it's all in God's hands, then what is my purpose?" Without hesitation, he replied, "Just receive His gift". I could have cried. That was it; no reciprocation. He did not add, "and then join us each Sunday at church" or "then go spread the word". It really is that simple.

Sweet extended family, I'm sorry for all the times I've complained about, frowned at, thrown away, given away, and simply did not appreciate my gifts at Christmas. What an ungrateful, spoiled girl. The thing is, God knows I'm going to blow it and make a mess of my gift, not appreciate it, or even think it's way too outlandish and unpractical but he's going to give the gift anyway and expect not a thing in return.

Authored by my wife, Shelley

First Week of Advent

Advent and the beginning of the Church year started this past Sunday.  My family will be going through devotions and spending time celebrating Advent.  There is a specific resource that we will be using that I want to share with anyone reading this here blog.  It comes from Higher Things, an organization within the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod set up to to assist parents, congregations, and pastors in cultivating and promoting a Lutheran identity among youth through conferences, retreats, publications, and the internet.

One of the resources they developed this year is an Advent devotional that can be found here.  I wanted to share an excerpt from today's devotion (Wednesday of the First Week of Advent):

In the Name of Jesus.  Amen.  Perhaps you've seen the sign on the billboard that says, "Don't make me come down there! - signed, God."  The implication is that we're misbehaving and if the Lord gets mad enough, He's going to to come down to earth and do something about it!

But God DID come down to earth.  The Father sent His Son to become flesh in the Virgin's womb so that He could grow up and die for us and take away our sins. . .

The Bible teaches us that God made all things in six days and that even when His creation was ruined by sin; He didn't abandon it, but sent His Son to save and redeem it.  And how?  By His Son's advent in the flesh.  The Son, by taking on a human nature in Christ, demonstrates that God is not afraid to touch what He has made.  Rather, He takes on flesh to save creation.  To save you.

This is Good News.  We have sinned and rebelled against God.  We have done our part in ruining in God's creation.  God has already come to 'deal with us,' so to speak.  In great love and mercy, He has come to save us.  He made you and me.  He has saved you and me through Christ in His birth, His life, and His death on the cross.  Praise be to God for His grace and mercy!

Advent does not only celebrate that Christ has come, but that He will come one last time!  Hallelujah!

Jesus came, the heav’ns adoring,

Came with peace from realms on high;
Jesus came for man’s redemption,
Lowly came on earth to die.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Came in deep humility  (Lutheran Service Book 353, Verse 1)

Jesus comes on clouds triumphant,

When the heav’ns shall pass away;
Jesus comes again in glory;
Let us then our homage pay,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Till the dawn of endless day. (Lutheran Service Book 353, Verse 5)

Drinking Scotch and reading good news...

Staying up late to do a bit of reading while the family sleeps. Decided to partake in some Aberflour... very good Scotch. I was reading through Paul's letter to the Ephesians, and thought I would share some good news with anyone who cares to read this... so here goes...

[2 :1] And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2 ] in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— [3 ] among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4 ] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5 ] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— [6 ] and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7 ] so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8 ] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9 ] not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10 ] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
(Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV)

We were dead in our trespasses and our sins. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

"God helps those who help themselves." That is complete rubbish. God raises the dead. We live because of Christ's death and resurrection. There is no better news... and this news goes well with a glass of Aberflour.

Romans Five Eight

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (KJV)

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I am really appreciating the book, 'Between Noon and Three' by Robert Capon. In telling a parable of sorts, he reflects on this verse. A statement from him:

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, on the condition that after a reasonable length of time we would be the kind of people no one would ever have had to die for in the first place. Otherwise, the whole deal is off.

God's grace is COMPLETELY scandolous.

You hear the gospel for an indeterminate period of time. But. Yes, there is a but. All of a sudden, you need to do something. You need to give more. More money. More time. More. Programs need to be sustained. If this does not happen, then much will not have been made of Jesus. Jesus is apparently relying on our deeds and programs for His kingdom to be advanced.

We must hold on to the Gospel. The Good News. We are loved. That is the thing. We are simply loved. We were completely dead. We have been made completely new. His love compels us. We do not compel His love. That is the new good news. His grace is scandalous.

No Tit for Tate with Grace

I have recently discovered a book recommended by Michael Spencer, aka the Internment Monk. The book is 'Between Noon and Three,' by Robert Farrar Capon. He hits the nail on the head when it comes to talking about grace. Grace isn't just a bystander. It is the very thing that we need to utterly depend upon.

From the book:

Confession is not the first step on the road to recovery; it is the last step in the displaying of a corpse... words like reform and rehabilitation should be ruled out of order. The only proper word here is resurrection. Grace does not do things tit-for-tat; it acts finally and fully from the start.

We love tit-for-tat. Rules are so much easier and convenient. It makes everything nice and clean. No mess. Grace is messy. Very messy. We are dead. Dead people cannot clean themselves up. They can be reformed. Only resurrected. Made completely new again.

Confession is necessary. Not to clean a guilty conscious, mind you. But it is the place where we realize our guilt. And we confess that we cannot fix ourselves. Only then can we place ourselves in the hands of our Father, be resurrected, made new, and live completely under His grace.