Dr. Pat's Orthodox Super Sunday School Curriculum

Confession

CONFESSION

 

Objectives:

  1. Students should understand the origin of confession and its meaning.
  2. Students should know how to prepare for confession.

           

Possible Lesson Plan:

  1. Open with prayer.

 

  1. Scriptural basis: 2 Samuel 11:1-12:13, Psalm 51, I John 1:9, Matthew 18: 17, James 5:16, John 20:23, Matthew 16:19, John 8:11

 

  1. Order of the service:

                 Actions

                      Meaning

1. Preparation: Trisagion, O Heavenly King, Psalms 23, 24, 116:10-19

We prepare to return to the Lord. Review the story of the Prodigal Son – Luke 15.

2. We confess our sins in the presence of our priest.

We act in obedience to Christ.

Review the story of the Publican and the Pharisee – Luke 18:10-14

3. We receive forgiveness of our sins when the priest places his stole on our heads and prays to God to forgive us.

God promises to forgive us if we confess our sins; there is rejoicing in heaven – Luke 15:3-7; why does the priest compare himself to Nathan the prophet?

 

  1. Discussion questions:

Confession is not simply a listing of sins, prepared ahead of time, to rattle off and receive absolution. It is an opportunity to re-examine my entire status as a Christian. Have I been a true disciple of Christ? In what ways have I given Him joy? In what ways pain? Confession reveals the truth about my relationship with Christ.

In preparation for Confession, what are some questions we can ask ourselves? Let the students try to come up with some of their own.  Then ask them some of these: How have I behaved towards God (Did I pray daily? Did I thank Him? Have I used His name in vain?) How have I behaved towards my family and friends? (Have I prayed for them? Have I been loving, honest, and respectful or have I lied and been unkind and disobedient? Have I shared with my brothers and sisters or been selfish? Have I helped at home, at school, etc.? Have I cheated or been lazy in my schoolwork? Have I made fun of anyone?) How have I behaved towards myself? (Have I been responsible? Have I cared for my body?) Am I truly sorry for my sins and really want to change my habits?

Why can’t we just confess in secret to God? (What about that pervasive self-deceiving psychological trick, denial, and accountability?) Who does the priest represent? (Christ)  Did Jesus have the authority to forgive sin? (Consider the healing of the paralytic and the woman caught in adultery.) What was the practice of the earliest Christians? (They actually stood up before the whole congregation and confessed their sins, truly walking in the light.) Why did this practice end and priests begin to hear confession privately? (Strangers coming to visit as the Church grew in numbers made public confession difficult.)

 

  1. Keep a “Confession Diary”: Write in it to the Lord your sins this week. Each day ask yourself the questions we talked about above and confess all to the Lord. What kind of friend have I been to Jesus this week – an unfaithful friend, an indifferent friend, a cowardly friend, or a true friend?

            6. Close with prayer.

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