We do have a role in holding each other accountable in faith, and we have all seen it done in a way that harms relationships- with each other, God and the church. A good place to begin is with a definition of sin- and while a list of things would be helpful, that is an indication of our tendency toward law which Jesus fulfilled with Gospel. Pastor Harry Wendt used ‘turning in on oneself’ in his work called the Divine Drama. When we are turning in on ourselves, we turn from God. Our whole orientation pivots around our wants and needs. A Biblical definition is the translation of the word ‘hamartia’, which means missing the mark. When we get really honest with ourselves, we can see the ways we miss the mark with our behaviors. If we keep going we are likely to find an unmet need driving our actions. This is challenging and meaningful work that will then open the way for us to accompany others as we work together to name our sins, mistakes, and hurts, and help each other grow in following Jesus. – Pastor Trudy Stoffel
