Private Confession is regularly available for parishioners of St James Lutheran Church. Every Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., you can schedule Private Confession with Pastor Bombaro (in his absence, with Pastor Barcott). Click the link above to schedule an appointment or, alternatively, call Parish Secretary Nola Hecht for confidential appointment scheduling. The Lord Jesus gave His Church the gift of Holy Absolution in John 20.19-22 to unburden His people from their sin, guilt, regret, and shame by specifically addressing the particular sins that trouble the conscience. That’s how much our Lord loves us, that He provides even for the unburdening of our consciences with a personal, direct word of pardon — sweet absolution.
Three quick points about Holy Absolution. First, by the definition of The Book of Concord, Absolution is a bona fide sacrament of the Church instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord. Second, no one is obligated to attend Private Confession and Absolution because “Absolution is not received except through faith” (Apology, Article XII.61). Likewise, Luther writes elsewhere in the Confessions, “We have always urged that Confession should be voluntary.” Notwithstanding, it is entirely fitting, especially before First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Holy Matrimony, and when one is plagued in conscience prior to receiving the Eucharist and, so, it is the custom of Pastor Bombaro to urge Private Confession. What is more, our Lutheran Confessions say that, “Among us many use the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day. They do so after they have been first instructed, examined and absolved” (Article XV.40). This is why corporate (or general) Confession and Absolution begins the Divine Service. But sometimes that’s not enough for troubled hearts and minds. This is where Private Confession is an especially dear gift that unburdens the soul with an absolutely authoritative pardon from Christ, followed by His welcome to the Holy Communion. Third, Holy Absolution is for our great benefit. Fourth and lastly, Absolution is a gift from the Lord for our benefit and should therefore be received, honored, and praised as such. Here is what Martin Luther says about Private Confession and Holy Absolution:
We strongly urge you by all means to make confession of your need, not with the intention of doing a worthy work by confessing but in order to hear what God has arranged for you to be told. What I am saying is that you are to concentrate on the Word, on the Absolution, to regard it as a great and precious and magnificently splendid treasure, and to accept it with all praise and thanksgiving to God …. So we teach what a splendid, precious, and comforting thing Confession is. Furthermore, we strongly urge people not to despise a blessing that in view of our great need is so priceless …. If you were a Christian, then you ought to be happy to run more than a hundred miles to Confession and not let yourself be urged to come. You should rather come and compel us [clergy] to give you the opportunity.
When I urge you to go to Confession, I am doing nothing else than urging you to be a Christian. (The Book of Concord, Appendix B, “A Brief Exhortation to Confession,” (St Louis: CPH, 2005), 958.
St. James Lutheran Church is doing just that, namely giving all parishioners from 4 to 104 the opportunity to make use of this “precious and magnificently splendid treasure.” What you can expect is an experience that is perfectly private, in the bond of sacred trust between you and your pastor. You’ll be gently instructed about its value and purpose, walked through the Rite of Individual Confession and Holy Absolution within the Lutheran Service Book (pp. 292-93), enjoin in prayer, receive pardon and welcome to the Eucharist from the Lord, and then enjoin in a bit of private pastoral counsel. From beginning to end, Private Confession takes between 10-15 minutes, but lasts a lifetime.