Lord We Confess Our Numerous Faults
Lord, we confess our numerous faults
The hymn emphasizes the Law's diagnosis of human sinfulness while directing the penitent to God's justifying grace, reflecting Lutheran understanding of Law and Gospel. It connects confession of sin with the assurance of God's pardoning mercy through Christ, central to Lutheran penitential practice.
History & Background
Written by American Presbyterian minister Dudley Tyng in the mid-19th century as a hymn of penitence and confession. The hymn was widely adopted in Lutheran hymnals, appearing in The Lutheran Hymnal (TLH) as hymn 382.
Hymnal Appearances
- Lutheran Worship — 281
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 382
Bulletin Note
Written by Dudley Tyng in 1849, this Common Meter hymn distills Lutheran penitential theology: true confession begins with the Law's diagnosis of sin and ends in the Gospel's assurance of God's pardoning love through Christ alone.
Preaching Connection
This hymn embodies the Lutheran dialectic of Law and Gospel: the Law strips us bare of self-righteousness, while the Gospel clothes us in Christ's justifying grace—a movement every sermon of repentance should complete.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- Confession of Sin Small Catechism — Confession
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: From Law (fear and dread) to Gospel (glad tidings, peace, and God's grace revealed in Christ's birth)
Themes
Confession of sin Repentance God's grace and mercy Justification by grace