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Do any Lutheran churches still set aside specific times for congregants' direct confessions to a minister?

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1 answer
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This might seem strange for a Lutheran, but I have been thinking about confession as a formalized interaction with an ordained minister. It is my understanding that in Martin Luther's day, Lutheran churches would set aside time on Saturdays so that congregants could come and confess their sins before taking part in Communion on Sunday. It was not a requirement, but the opportunity was typically provided. I get that many Lutherans still have a thing about the traditions we inherited from the Catholic Church, but this is one that might be worth continuing. I know that in the U.S., the ELCA and the LCMS do not require that people attend a one-on-one confession with a pastor before Communion, but I know there exist other smaller denominations and am curious if any Lutherans in the U.S. or anywhere else still practice this formally. I realize that in most Lutheran churches, a member would merely need to make an appointment with the pastor and could speak to the cleric about whatever was troubling them. But perhaps there is value in a church setting aside a specific time for personal confessions, as is done in Catholic churches. I would probably avail myself of personal confession if it was provided in such a way that anyone could show up and confess to a pastor at a certain time. This would not make it like a "special request" which could get the sewing circle chatting about why someone made a special appointment to confess to their pastor. If it was just something anyone could show up and do on a certain day, there would be nothing remarkable about it and privacy could be maintained. I think it would encourage people to confess specific sins or regrets that might be on their mind, and provide an opportunity for pastors to offer personal spiritual and practical guidance to people who are struggling with sin. And everyone is struggling with sin. It just seems more effective than reciting the order of confession from memory every week, but I could be wrong so I am curious to know if there are any Lutheran churches that still practice this.
Asked by David Eisenbeisz (194 rep)
Mar 29, 2025, 02:11 AM
Last activity: Mar 31, 2025, 09:02 PM