My wife and I have recently started to attend a good Anglican church. When it comes to the style of the service, we are finding very few things to be different from our previous nonconformist churches. However, what is striking is this: at most services we are asked to prepare ourselves for a time of confession. This is no bland ‘vain repetition’ of well-known words; we are urged to be quiet before the Lord and privately confess our sins to him. Only after that do we say these, or similar, words: