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Commandments, Confession and Absolution

Eleven small (numbered) 'subsections' make up the first section of the Holy Communion Service, titled Gathering in God's Name.

The opening four subsections:
§1. A hymn
§2. An Invocation--the Name of God is invoked
§3. The Greeting
§4. Prayer of Preparation (Collect of Purity)

were referred to in an earlier post.

Then follows subsections §5-7 which is concluded with the Absolution for sin.

§5. The Two Great Commandments, the Ten Commandments or other suitable passages are used
As soon as we hear these commandments being said, we are all reminded of one of the purposes of the Law (Rom 7.7). The law makes us aware of sin: of our deep inclination to wander away from God and seek out other gods.

Each Sunday Anglicans are made aware of their sinful state before God and of their continual need for divine forgiveness.

Thus the hearing of the commandments leads on to a time of silence and then to a

§6. Confession of Sin
The confession is prefaced with the words,
'Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, confident in God's forgiveness'
and usually said by the lay reader, deacon or priest.

All respond with
Merciful God,
our maker and our judge,
we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed,
and in what we have failed to do;
we have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbour as ourselves;
we repent and are sorry for all our sins.
Father, forgive us.
Strengthen us to love and obey you in newness of life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

The human heart does not like to be reminded of its failures, particularly of its failure to love God and neighbour. But the church assembled stands before the judgement seat of God in Christ (2 Cor 5.10).

The priest says the following words,
§7. The Absolution
Almighty God,
who has promised forgiveness to all who turn to him in faith:
pardon you and set you free from all your sins,
 strengthen you in all goodness
and keep you in eternal life,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In the Anglican Church, only bishops and priests are permitted to say these words in the church. The Anglican priest does not forgive sin but affirms that God does forgive those who turn to him in faith. (I imagine the segment to be alluding to John 20.21-23 which is a disputed passage between the Roman Church and Protestants generally.) I've even heard some priests include themselves in this affirmation so that the words become, 'pardon us and set us free from all our sins etc.).
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