E89: Micah B - The Litany of Sins
The Bible in 30 Seconds or Less | Old Testament: Minor Prophets
Every year on Ash Wednesday the liturgy is full of talk about death, human wretchedness, and disobedience. Some folks might even leave the Lord's table, with ashes on their heads, feeling discouraged. This is similar to how one might feel after reading the book of Micah. However, if we examine the litany of sins closer, both in Micah and in our liturgy, we might find that they are less concerned with our sexuality or our innermost thoughts and more concerned with the systematic oppression of women, workers, and people of color. We might find that these sins include the destruction of the environment, or marginalization of the LGBTQ community. Like Micah's heavy emphasis on judgement and injustice, we might see ourselves as complacent in structural sins and our church communities in need of collective repentance, confession, and God's restoration.