Corporate Sin

“If the entire Israelite community sins by violating one of the LORD’s commands, but the people don’t realize it, they are still guilty.” – Leviticus 4:13

 Before I went to seminary, I had never heard of corporate sin, or at least I had never heard it named that way before.  Of course, I was aware of pollution, racism, and the like, but I had thought of these social issues as individual problems – a bunch of individuals acting sinfully, not as a community sinning in one accord.  Then I was challenged to read an Emilie M. Townes book on womanism.  Womanism is the feminism of African-Americans who carry the weight of both gender and racial injustice.  And I was amazed and convicted by what I read.  I learned that there are both systems we establish and support and cultural rhythms that we practice as a community that are sinful.  I learned that when we concede to a cultural habit or system that perpetuates a sin, we are corporately sinning.  And when we sin corporately, we are called to repent corporately.  We are called to act as a community in naming the sin, in changing our habits so that we no longer sin, and in helping to change the structures and the culture that perpetuates sin.  In some ways, we as a church are already responding to corporate sin in our mission and service outreach activities.  But our response doesn’t need to stop there.  There are a lot of ways that we sin corporately. The challenge for us as a Christian community is to invite God to both make us aware of these sins and to give us the courage to repent. We are also challenged to remember that God’s grace is present in every circumstance and nothing takes place that is beyond the reach of God’s redeeming grace. 

Almighty and Powerful God, Help us to see our corporate sin and give us the courage to band together in seeking forgiveness, changing our behavior, and calling others to repentance as well. Remind us that even though we have fallen short, your grace is sufficient and your love overflows both in our lives and those harmed by our sin. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Palm Sunday School Lesson for Teenagers

Scripture: Luke 22:17-20 Topic: When Jesus ate with his Disciples Background: This lesson would be taught during a Sunday morning breakfast club for teenagers. Once a month the youth meet to cook breakfast and then we try to relate the lesson to food. Last time the Middle School breakfast club met a middle school student led his peers in a devotional that went through the various stories of Jesus sharing food with his disciples. This Sunday we are going to focus on one of those stories and how it relates to Easter. Opening: 1. Ask, “Have you ever helped plan a party?” a. Ask the students to share about the various things they did to prepare (send invites, decorate, blow up balloons, set the table, plan games, order food). 2. Say, “For some families, Easter is a time of celebration, a party of sorts.” a. Ask, “What does your family do to celebrate Easter?” (family gets together, we eat dinner together, Easter egg hunt, attend church se
Read more

They touched Jesus, but then, how did they pray?

I'm sitting in my room praying and thinking, "After the resurrection did the disciples pray to Jesus?" Just imagine this with me for a moment. You have spent the past 2 - 3 years of your life following this intriguing man around, your feet are calloused, your memory is overflowing with moments around the campfire or dinner table, and you've been challenged to completely shift your Jewish worldview. And then he is gone. Just as quick as he came, just as brief as the moment he walked the shoreline past your fishing boat and called out to you, he is gone. And you are left knowing you've met an incredible man who was more than a man -- a man who was somehow divine. Now there is no one around you analyzing deep fulfilled Christological theological concepts, but there are plenty of Greek voices and new philosophical ways of contemplating life's happenings, there are Jewish commentaries, and there are the conversations that have happened along the roadside. An
Read more

Question: Multi-generational ministry

What do you think is good about churches that focus on reaching a specific age group? What do you think some of the disadvantages are? Would you rather be part of a multi-generational interactive community or a community of peers? (Assuming both are in the context of Christian fellowship.)
Read more