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View Full Version : Has the LCMS done away with private confession?

rd151
18th March 2007, 08:31 PM
I attend the LCMS and there is no mention of times for people to come and give private confession? We have a general absolution given for all at the start of the main service and that's it.Yet private confessions are suppose to be heard according to the Small Luther Cathechism? Has the LCMS discontinued this? :confused:
Plutonius
18th March 2007, 08:47 PM
Talk to your paster.
DaRev
18th March 2007, 09:09 PM
No, the LCMS has not done away with private confession & absolution. But it is a shame that more pastors do not make it publically known.

If you wish to have a private absolution, ask your pastor. He should be more than willing to do so for you.
LilLamb219
18th March 2007, 10:50 PM
I agree with what the others wrote...it is generally available, but you'll need to set up a time with your pastor yourself :)
filosofer
19th March 2007, 12:14 AM
Sadly, pastoral "counseling" has replaced confession and absolution. Pastors are not counselors (unless they happened to have been formally trained prior to or after seminary); but they are spiritual shepherds. I found that many of my meetings with people involved far more confession/absolution than most people realized. If they want counseling, let them seek professional counselors.

In Christ's love,
filo
GratiaCorpusChristi
19th March 2007, 12:19 AM
No, the LCMS has not done away with private confession & absolution. But it is a shame that more pastors do not make it publically known.

If you wish to have a private absolution, ask your pastor. He should be more than willing to do so for you.

Agreed.

My pastor makes it known to all members of the church during catechesis and when members from other churches move into the area and transfer their memebership. Unfortunately, an offering of private confession or any regularly scheduled times are not posted in any bulletin.

But if by chance I become an LCMS pastor, I'll be posting regular times and making the offer public. I would actually talk to our current pastor about this, if he weren't just an interim pastor and I didn't suspect him of being a crypto-Calvinist.
QuiltAngel
19th March 2007, 04:01 AM
The LCMS has not done away with private confession. It has been said that many do not have an announced time for it. One can always go to the Pastor for that reason.

My son just transferred his membership to one that does have an announced time. I thought that was so neat to see a time for announced in the bulletin.