The Joy in Enough confession is a call to the church in Britain to acknowledge our complicity in consumerism and climate change, and to use the season of Lent to talk about these topics as a community.
It is a call to repent, and to seek contentment, justice and a life in balance with the natural world. It is a call to freedom from the endless want-creation of consumerism, and to find joy in enough.
Download the joy in enough confession (pdf), read it online, and scroll down for more ideas on how to use it.
Ideas for using the confession
Sunday service – for the confession to be a moment that involves the whole body of Christ, a Sunday service will be the most appropriate time to use it. It could be used in the confession part of the service, or to respond to a sermon that considers consumerism.
Ash Wednesday – as an event centred around confession, Ash Wednesday provides a perfect opportunity to use the JiE Confession. The declaration could be read aloud, and people could then make a personal response.
Public readings – take the confession out of the church building and into the streets or the shopping centre. What better place could there be to renounce consumerism than in the mall? Take a group to a relevant place, hand out flyers, and read the confession aloud. In the right context, the confession could become an act of prophetic protest.
Radio – Local BBC radio stations often have faith programming on Sunday mornings. They are always on the lookout for new topics to discuss or local initiatives to talk about on air. Drop the presenter an email to tell them about it, and what you and your church and doing. They may well invite you onto the programme to read it, and host a conversation about consumerism with callers.
Personal reflection – rather than giving something up this year, use the confession to help you think through your lifestyle over the Lent period. Take a week per topic and think about climate change, wildlife and conservation, consumerism, inequality, your own response, and your community response.
Display – print the confession as a poster for your church noticeboard. If you are using it during Lent in a personal capacity, pin it somewhere in your house too – on the fridge perhaps, where you will see it regularly.
What else might you do with it? Let us know your ideas here.
Joy in Enough 