Sun. Sept. 13, 2009 (Louise Holert)

Louise Holert, a Presbyterian minister from Seattle, noted that the Bible is counter-cultural. While advertisers tell us what we need and what will make us happy, she noted that the words “happiness,” “blessing,” and “beatitude” all have similar meaning. In Psalm 32, the key word is “blessing,” and the blessed person is the one who has experienced God’s forgiveness. “To live in a confessional relationship with God is true happiness," she said. Sin and guilt are debilitating; unconfessed sin can sap our strength. David acknowledges his sin and begins his journey from resistance to repentance. In response time it was noted that pride is often the basis for a refusal to seek forgiveness; humility is important. We are left with a question: What would a confessional lifestyle look like? (HN) Listen to the sermon audio MP3 recording from Sunday, Sept. 13th, 2009 using your browser's preferred media player.