Easter Forgiveness Box

In preparation for Easter this year, our family will once again be making a Forgiveness Box.  In years past, I have called it a Repentance Box - but have renamed it for the dual purpose it will serve for our family this year.

As Jesus was hanging on the cross for us on that blackest Good Friday, we hear Him say - almost unbelieveably -

"Father, forgive them...".

And oh how I long to echo those same words in my life.  After all - haven't I been forgiven for so much?

And the same God who forgave all those years ago... is the same God who forgives me today.  And He is the same God who will forgive me tomorrow.

His grace.
Amazing, amazing grace!

Easter... It's our greatest reason to celebrate.

We have been forgiven.
We have been cleansed of our sin.
Jesus took our place on a cross.
The tomb is empty!

The Forgiveness Box is a way for us to confess our sins to the One who took the punishment that we deserved, but didn't have to suffer.  In addition, it is our way to forgive others for the mistakes they've made... or even to forgive ourselves for things we need to let go of.

As a family, we will confess our sins by writing them on blank pieces of paper and will place them into the sealed box where they will not be seen by anyone. They will be our private confessions to God.  We will also write down the things we need to forgive others for and place them inside the sealed box. Then... on Good Friday, we will burn the entire box and the contents as a visual reminder of the ultimate price that was paid for us. We will celebrate the freedom from slates wiped clean!

Here is a picture of our box from last year...

Brian Zahnd, author of the book Unconditional... The Call of Jesus to Radical Forgiveness says this,

"If Christianity isn't about forgiveness, it's about nothing at all.  Whatever else may be said about Christian people, it must be said of us that we are a people who believe in the forgiveness of sins - we believe in the forgiveness of sins as surely as we believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,