We Acknowledge And Bewail Our Sins

ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; We knowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed by thought, word, and deed, against thy divine Majesty, provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, and be heartily sorry for these our misdoings; the remembrance of them is grievous unto us; the burthen of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life, to the honour and glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

—1549 Book of Common Prayer

Subscribe to the Heidelblog today!


5 comments

  1. Excellent.

    At the end of each day I utter words just like these and seeing my measureless sin I wonder why God doesn’t just snuff me out. I amazed at the mercy, at the end of each day. We all must bewail, daily.

    Such comfort from prayer but the liberals prefer to disbelieve in God’s holy judgement.

  2. “ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.” (General Confession of Sin, Morning Prayer – Book Of Common Prayer)

    Lord have mercy…

    • The message of the good news of Jesus Christ declares that God’s judgment and curse have fallen upon his Son in whom, according to God’s redemptive plan, is the forgiveness of sins received through faith for all who Call upon him. Apart from Christ crucified there is no living the Christian life. As J. Gresham Machen wrote, “For clearly if Christianity is anything it is a way of getting rid of sin” (Christianity and Liberalism, p. 90). And as the apostle Paul wrote near the end of his life, It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all (1 Tim. 1:15).

  3. This prayer at Holy Communion survived in the long progeny of Books of Common Prayer. In England, it was in the 1552, 1559, and 1662 BCPs. Not sure what the Brits did with their updated model in the “progressive” 1980s. In America, this specific prayer survived in the 1789, 1892, 1928 and 1979 BCPs (Rite 1, that is. Rite 2 of the 1979 BCP has a dessicated and starved rendition.) However, during Lent and Advent seasons, to this day, we use this prayer above at Communion services, kneeling of course. This notably prayer is well known to those whose doctrine, worship and piety are shaped by Prayer Book Churchmanship. James Packer and Gerald Bray would know it well. George Washington, ten other U.S. Presidents, John Jay, Robert E. Lee and many others would have heard this prayer at Holy Communion, again, on their knees. However, unacceptably and hypocritically, at a larger level in the US, in my experience, the homilies do not match the old theology. The catechism in the 1979 BCP is pure-breed Pelagianism, not semi-Pelagian, but Pelagian.

Comments are closed.