Evangelicals Rediscover Reconciliation

Only, they won't admit that that's what it is, for fear of appearing to be Catholic, and they won't declare it's sacramental nature. Ted Haggard's fall from grace has suddenly focused attention to sin, and how the Evangelical churches handle sin. Here's the four-step plan for rehabilitating Mr. Haggard, as presented in CNN's 'What is Spiritual Restoration?':

1. Submit to the authority of his couselors
2. Admit his sins
3. Make restitution
4. Be humbled

Wow, sounds like that Papist ritual, popularly known as 'Confession'! Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that since the Protestant Reformation, sinners only had to ask Jesus for forgiveness, and voila, sins are forgiven. This 'Spiritual Restoration' plan sounds like a tacit endorsement of Catholic sacramentality. I wonder if the megachurches are going to start installing confessionals in their facilities.

Satan Workin' It.

A couple things jumped out at me from recent statements from different people. Here's the first:

"When I stopped communicating about my problems," he wrote, "the darkness increased and finally dominated me." - ex-pastor Rev. Ted Haggard

Ladies and Germs, get to Reconciliation. Find time if you're busy, and make time if you're really busy. Be wary of the excuses that keep you from making a good confession. Don't fall for the placation that "Well, Jesus has already forgiven my sins, so there's no need." I think Ted will now agree that that sophistry just doesn't hold when you're in battle.

Another tidbit, this time from Madison, Wisconsin, from people upset that the bishop is very intent on informing his flock:

Later, Scott said he thought the church leaders over-reacted and showed that they don't trust their parishioners to form their own opinions on civil matters.

If you are in a Catholic Church, there is an implied obligation to listen to your bishop. And the bishop has the obligation to inform the souls under his care with the Gospel and pertinent spiritual guidance. That's the way the Church has run for thousands of years. People are free to leave the Church and do their own thing, another long-standing tradition: schism.
There should be no differences between your civil and spiritual politics if Christ is truly Lord of All. If there are areas where you won't let Christ reign, then you really don't accept His reign at all. The Bishop of Madison, Wisconsin is trying to remind his flock of that.