- Home
- Preface
- Introduction
- Three Zones and Nine Sectors
- Wings and Moves and other functions
- Biblical Journeys
- Prayer
- The Enneagram
- From the Enneagram to the Strategy Board
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Confession and resolution
The contemporary forms of ‘general confession,’ drawn from ancient principles, ring true for everyone: that we have done wrong, against God and neighbor, in thought and word and deed, and in what we have left undone.
In the great outpouring of new liturgical resources in the present day, many modern confessions fail to hit the mark for most readers. They use images and words for misdeeds and imperfections which sound like somebody else’s particular neurosis, not yours: you can imagine their writers meaning every word, but they leave you the reader thinking ‘speak for yourself!’ – and they fail to touch what it is that you do need humbly to bring before God that day.
The pattern of the nine types makes sense of this experience. The classic principles of the general confession ring true for us all, but so much else is specific to the patterns of interaction with the world which follow from the strategy – the temptations and energies and hopes and fears which belong distinctively to each of the nine types.
The nine modern ‘confessions’ which follow are complete spiritual exercises in themselves. They are very complete: they confess every detail of the sinful, broken, and imperfect lives that we live. There is one for each of the nine types in turn.
The process of confession as part of prayer can uncover things you would rather keep hidden – but the purpose is healing and forgiveness in the presence of our gracious God. These nine type-specific confessions are uncannily perceptive: they do ‘hit the mark.’ These confessions may take you to places you would rather not go – places you have never been or places you left behind long ago – but their purpose is healing and forgiveness on the journey from corruption to redemption. Many will not be for you – but one or more may be your confession, and a gateway, by God’s grace, toward redemption.
These nine confessions were created by Éilís Bergin and the late Eddie Fitzgerald. They are presented here with only minor alterations, with the kind permission of their publishers, SDB Media in Dublin.
Each confession concludes with a resolution – an expression of resolve – which moves from the singular – ‘I’ – to the plural – ‘we’ – placing the reader in solidarity with all those other Christian people who share their journey and their type.