Chapter 5: Confession and Communion

Life Together 

By: Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

Chapter 5: Confession and Communion 

Confess your faults one to another James 5:16

In this chapter Bonhoeffer is addressing what the Christians call a desire for authenticity. Too often in the church it has felt like sin is left outside and only Sunday's best comes in. Bonhoeffer argues that is not true and not only is it not true it also keeps Christians from true brotherly fellowship. Not one of us is perfect and that is not a promise only for the un-saved. Granted there is no condemnation is Christ but there is confession. Bonhoeffer is advocating for the Church to be honest about sin because lying about it is not going to help anyone. True fellowship only occurs in any Christian community when the members of Christ are able to honestly share their sin. Sin isolates but confession brings sin into the light so that it can no longer hide. We know this but will we live like it? 

For example I know that the couple struggling with purity needs to confess it, and I know that the single woman who is discontent should talk about it and the married couple who is angry should take their anger to God. I know the individual who cannot remember the last time they prayed alone with God should confess their  struggle. We know that the teens who finds her identity in social media should admit it and that her lying little brother should admit he made up the story. None of these sins mentioned are unique to the un-believer. These sin patterns and many more are common to believers. It is necessary be able to admit their struggles because of they don't it will only grow worse and keep Christians from true community.

One community I have seen this done really well was in a church in Philadelphia. I did my internship at Urban Hope Community Church in Kensington, Philadelphia. The community there was very intentional about sharing highs and lows of life. Family groups met every Tuesday and even on my first week there when no one knew me everyone was still willing to share what they were struggling with. In the church on Sunday mornings they would also let the congregation share prayer requests and praises to the whole church so that they could be praying for one another. Because of this culture of authenticity I could witness that they had real fellowship.There sin was not hidden and because of that healing could happen. 

Bonhoeffer's book "Life Together" has been focused on how to create community in the midst of the saints. His last plea for the Christian community is that they confess their sins because without this difficult and humiliating step there will be no real community. It will never go deeper but, will only be surface level relationships between brethren and that is not what Jesus died for. When believers confess their sins they are no longer able to deceive themselves. God has granted the church the gift of confession so that sin will not keep a grip on His people. He has made a way to find freedom from sin in the day-to-day and on the final judgement day. Right now He is calling us to share our deepest sins with our family of God so that we may be healed.