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The percentage is probably far more than is healthy for the church. Any time you hear someone start to equate temptation with sin proper, remind them that Jesus Christ was tempted in every way possible, but He was still sinless; not giving in to the the temptation is always the key.

In fact, I would not be surprised if Satan, who can only be at one place at any time, followed Jesus everywhere He went during his earthly ministry, constantly throwing temptations at Him in hopes of making Him slip up somehow just once. It is amazing to think that even one act of gluttony (i.e., eating for pure self-indulgence) or covetousness on His part would have completely disqualified Him as Savior!

I can so relate to that practice in churches I have attended. It seems to be the confessional method of choice at Christian youth retreats, too. I told my teenaged niece (who is a Christian) that if she ever needed to confess some sin in her life and repent from it, she did not need to make a big show of doing it via an explicit “rededication.” There is nothing about walking an aisle in front of a large group of people with somber music playing that makes repentance more valid.

Although I am not a professional counselor by any means, many friends of mine come to me for advice with various life issues, and I have no choice but to offer different advice to fellow Christians than I offer to non-Christian friends who are not open to accepting Christ, the latter choosing to go it on their own rather than looking to God for support and guidance.

Of course, there are many things that a non-believer can do to improve their life situation: switch occupations, give up a bad habit (or usually swap it for a less bad habit), break off a destructive relationship, and so forth. However, even if they get all of their other ducks in a row, there will still be this huge, persistent, God-shaped hole in their heart and a dominating sinful nature that cannot be effectively challenged through worldly means.

I am convinced that the only way to find lasting joy, peace, and contentment, the kind that the Apostle Paul exhibited even while imprisoned, is through reconcilation with Father God through Jesus Christ; the world offers no real substitute for that.

A distinction: in Lutheran practice, there is no advice offered or penance required. Also, there is no attempt to counsel or heal the sinner. All it is is Christ’s word of forgiveness spoken FOR YOU by the pastor. Confession of individual sins is not required, but is certainly allowed.

I don’t believe this is the only way that Christ forgives our sins, but it is a way that makes our forgiveness very, very clear.

Despite the blessings of individual confession and absolution, many Lutherans, even confessional Lutherans, remain very uncomfortable with this practice and suspect that it is “too Roman.”

Of course, true repentence is never easy or comfortable.

as a post-Evangelical and a recent Catholic convert I totally understand your allure to the sacrament of Confession in the Catholic Tradition. what’s more, I can tell you from experience that it is every bit as humbling, cleansing, and rejuvenating as it appears from the outside.

the way I prepare for Confession – one of the ways they showed us during RCIA – is to spend at least 20 minutes in prayer and reflection. good ways to start are to reflect on the 10 Commandments and the Beatitudes, but Confession is nowhere near as ‘legalistic’ as some people might think. we don’t just run thru the lists of rules and check a box next to each we’ve broken. take time to think about each, and how it helps in our relationship with God and with others. so it’s not just ‘have I committed adultery?’ but ‘have I loved women and men in my life as God’s daughters and sons? or have I lusted for them? have I incited lust in others? have I celebrated love with my own spouse as a figure of God’s love, or have I treated them as a sexual object?’

I tend to think of the ‘small sins’ in a similar way to ‘small sins’ in my human relationships. does drinking around some of your friends damage your relationship with them? does getting drunk? sometimes these things are trivial, but other times they’re not. I think iMonk is right – there’s room for contextualizing to the culture. when you pray and reflect in a spirit of repentance, ask yourself for your intentions in the ‘small sins’ – are you turning from God or neglectfully ignoring God by commission or omission?

God has given us His Spirit, which proceeds from the Loving relationship of the Father and Son. I believe if we reflect on ourselves for a while, we’ll know pretty well when we’ve broken or bruised that Love.