The order of worship in the Reformed Tradition traditionally begins with a call to worship, followed by a hymn or song.  Next, the congregation reads aloud a corporate prayer of confession.  This traditional placement reflects the Reformed understanding that worship is like a conversation with God: God summons us through the call to worship, and we respond, acknowledging our need for God.  The prayer of confession is answered by an assurance of pardon or forgiveness.  This assurance doesn’t grant absolution but declares what God has already promised: You are forgiven.  You are free to start again. 

This practice contrasts with the Roman Catholic tradition in which individuals confess privately to a priest, who then grants absolution.  Relying on Scripture, the Reformers insisted that every believer has direct access to God.  Christ alone mediates.  While people may confess either individually or corporately, the corporate prayer of confession reflects the belief that sin is both personal and communal.  The whole congregation stands in need of grace.  No one comes to worship as spiritually superior to anyone else.

I’ve heard robust arguments in favor of doing away with the prayer of confession.  Some say it communicates that we’re miserable sinners when what is most important about us is that we are beloved children of God, created in God’s image.  Others say the prayer of confession requires us to confess to things that have nothing to do with us, that we never did and never will do.  I’ve also heard arguments for moving the prayer of confession to later in the service, perhaps after we’ve heard the Word in a sermon.  Some congregations rename the prayer of confession to obscure the confessional aspect.  I’ve seen “unison prayer” and “time of silent reflection.”  Other churches eliminate it all together.

I understand this “miserable sinners” argument.  Sadly, the Christian Church has an unfortunate history of treating people like miserable sinners.  Some liturgies require people to declare themselves “unworthy.”  “Worm theology” is the phrase that critiques the style of Christian teaching and worship that emphasizes “total depravity” and personal worthlessness more than God’s love.  Worm theology has been used to exploit, control, manipulate, and abuse people.  If someone is a worthless sinner, they’ll need a dependent relationship on the church and on the church’s representatives; i.e., the clergy.  Further, it has been the Church that gets to define “sin,” often leading to social control based on cultural norms rather than abundant life based in love. Worm theology can leave people with chronic guilt, shame, or low self-worth.  It’s bad for mental and emotional health and it distorts the good news of the Gospel.  People are appropriately repelled by this misuse of the church’s power.  People have been hurt by it.

But worm theology is a caricature.  Honest confession doesn’t deny human value.  It recognizes human frailty, human wandering.  It recognizes how complex we are, how mixed our motives.  It recognizes that we really do want to strive to do better.  And that, in spite of all that, God’s grace has the last word.  I know this from marriage: Knowing you’re loved despite your failings or flaws is what gives deep security in a relationship, rather than self-esteem built on your conviction of your own goodness.

I was moved to think about prayers of confession by this prayer I was blessed to pray during a recent Sunday worship service at Calvary Presbyterian Church in San Francisco:

God of every blessing,
we confess that sometimes we can’t see your blessing in every situation.
We want you to give us what we want –
a good life, free of trouble, safe and comfortable, prosperous and happy.
You promise instead to be with us,
to show your steadfast love,
and to make us a blessing wherever we are.
We want you to set your people free and make sure everyone is cared for.
You call us instead to look out for the vulnerable and to use our own powers for good.
Forgive us when we want you to give us the easy life,
but we don’t want to do the work to make others’ lives easier.
Forgive us when we confuse your blessing with privilege or prosperity
and then refuse to share any of it.
Forgive us, O God,
and liberate us from our wrong thinking and our wrongdoing,
that we may learn to live out your goodness in every place and time.
We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.¹

We humans mess up.  We mess up again and again.  We mess up when we mean to and when we don’t mean to.  Prayers like this one don’t condemn us.  They remind us that God sees a different path for us, a healing path, and that God longs to give us the strength and power to follow it because God loves the world.  Prayers like this one remind us we need God’s help, individually and as a community, and inspire us to seek it.  And then the assurance reminds us that we are really, truly, unconditionally loved.  I want that reminder every week.

© Joanne Whitt 2026 all rights reserved.      

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[1] From the worship bulletin at Calvary Presbyterian Church, San Francisco, for Sunday, September 27, 2026, https://irp.cdn-website.com/95473ce8/files/uploaded/09-27-26+Bulletin.pdf.