The Order of the Confessional Service

The Order of the Confessional
Service
A Hymn of Repentance or another Hymn may be sung
Minister: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
The Congregation shall say or chant:
Amen.
℣ : Make haste, O God, to deliver me.
℟ : Make haste to help me, O_ Lord.
℣ : The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
℟ : A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost: As it was in
the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
Then shall the Minister read Psalm 51 or another Psalm
Then may be read
The Scripture Lesson
Then may follow
The Confessional Address
Or, if time does not permit, the Minister may read
The Exhortation

Dearly beloved: Forasmuch as we purpose to come to the Holy Supper of
our, Lord Jesus Christ, it becometh us diligently to examine ourselves, as
St. Paul exhorteth us. For this holy Sacrament hath been instituted for the
special comfort and strengthening of those who humbly confess their sins
and hunger and thirst after righteousness.
But if we thus examine ourselves, we shall find nothing in us but sin and
death, from which we can in no wise set ourselves free. Therefore our Lord
Jesus Christ hath had mercy upon us and hath taken upon Himself our
nature, that so He might fulfill for us the whole will and Law of God and
for us and for our deliverance suffer death and all that we by our sins have
deserved. And to the end that we should the more confidently believe this
and be strengthened by our faith in a cheerful obedience to His holy will,
He hath instituted the holy Sacrament of His supper, in which He feedeth us
with His body and giveth us to drink of His blood.
Therefore, whoso eateth of this bread and drinketh of this cup, firmly
believing the words of Christ, dwelleth in Christ, and Christ in him, and
hath eternal life.
We should do this also in remembrance of Him, showing His death, that
He was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification, and
rendering unto Him most hearty thanks for the same, take up our cross and
follow Him, and, according to His commandment, love one another even as
He hath loved us. For we are all one bread and one body, even as we are all
partakers of this one bread and drink of this one cup.
Then the Minister shall say: Having now heard the Word of God, let us kneel and
make confession of our sins:
O almighty God, merciful Father, I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto
Thee all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended Thee and
justly deserved Thy temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily
sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray Thee of Thy
boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and
death of Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a
poor, sinful being.
Then the Minister shall rise and say:

I now ask you before God, Is this your sincere confession, that you heartily
repent of your sins, believe on Jesus Christ, and sincerely and earnestly
purpose, by the assistance of God the Holy Ghost, henceforth to amend
your sinful life? Then declare so by saying: Yes.
℟ : Yes.
Then shall the Minister pronounce
The Absolution
Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and
ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you,
and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you
all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost.
℟ : Amen.
Or the following form may be used:
And now I ask you before God, who searcheth the heart:
1. Do you sincerely confess that you have sinned against God and
deserved His wrath and punishment? - Then declare so by saying: I
do confess.
Verily, you should confess; for Holy Scripture declares: "If we say
that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
2. Do you heartily repent of all your sins committed in thought, word,
and deed? Then declare so by saying: I do repent.
Verily, you should repent, as did the penitent sinners: King David,
who prayed for a contrite heart; Peter, who wept bitterly; the sinful
woman; the prodigal son; and others.
3. Do you sincerely believe that God, by grace, for Jesus' sake, will
forgive you all your sins? Then declare so by saying: I do believe.
Verily, you should so believe, for Holy Scripture declares: "God so
loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

4. Do you promise that with the aid of the Holy Ghost you will
henceforth amend your sinful life? Then declare so by saying: I do
promise.
Verily, you should so promise, for Christ, the Lord, says: "Let your
light so shine before men that they may see your good works and
glorify your Father which is in heaven."
5. Finally, do you believe that through me, a called servant of God,
you will receive the forgiveness of all your sins? Then declare so by
saying: I do believe.
As you believe, even so may it be unto you.
Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and
ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you,
and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you
all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost. Amen.
The Collect
Then shall be said or chanted the Collect for the Day, or other Collects, and the
Collect for Peace
__ ℣ :__The Lord will give strength unto His people.
℟ : The Lord will bless His people with peace.
The Collect for Peace
O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do
proceed, give unto Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give,
that our hearts may be set to obey Thy commandments, and also that we,
being defended by Thee from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in
rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ, our Savior, who liveth
and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without
end. Amen.
The Benediction

℣ : The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the
communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.
℟ : Amen.
Silent Prayer