...as primarily against God: "Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, maker of all things, judge of all men: We acknowledge and bewail our manifold...thought, word, and deed, against thy divine majesty. We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; the remembrance of them is...

...meter maid. The old Confession was written by men who knew what it felt like to have done bad things: "We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for...grievous unto us; The burden of them is intolerable." Indeed. She pronounced absolution, focusing hard on the words to block out the voice in the back of...

...shorter and simpler prayer. The original Eucharistic confession was rich in the lyric of contrition: We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness,...grievous unto us, the burden of them is intolerable (p. 75). Dramatic words like 'bewail' and 'grievously' and 'intolerable burden' strongly express the...

...General Confession from the prayer book: "We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickednesses, which we from time to time most grievously have committed...grievous unto us. The burden of them is intolerable." I admire the sedate cadences of the elegant language. But I recall a Vermont friend's referring to...