Confessions of Sin and Assurances of Pardon: A Pocket Resource is a user-friendly guide to the invaluable and oft-neglected practice of confession, and it is a great help to congregations and individuals looking to draw close to God.
Jesus taught us in the model Lord's Prayer to cry out to God to forgive our sins and give us a heart of forgiveness toward others. Worship that includes regular prayers of confession forms in us a life of repentance. I commend this work where Pastor Griffith has gathered a wealth of prayers from the rich history of the church and from the present day as well.
In whatever venue it is used, the goal is to draw worshipers to the throne of grace to find grace to help in time of need; that together they may entreat, "Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us. Jesus, Bearer of our sins, have mercy on us. Jesus, Redeemer of the world, grant us peace. Amen" (11). I highly recommend this book for ministers, worship leaders, men, women, girls and boys.
Confessions of Sin and Assurances of Pardon is, in large part, a collection of excerpts from various Christian traditions, and is an outstanding resource - especially for pastors and those who craft liturgy - to connect their worship communities to the broader Church. I highly recommend this book, and plan to use it liberally in my own context.
