Once I had a friend who was offended whenever the phrase "we are miserable sinners" was used in the corporate prayer of confession. She did not feel that she was a miserable sinner. And indeed she wasn't in comparison to most of the other people in the church. She was compassionate, kind, thoughtful, and a great teacher of little children in Sunday School. Nor did she "regard others with contempt" -- or at least, not many others. I don't think she liked the phrase in an old hymn, "Would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?" She thought such phrases as "miserable sinner" and "such a worm as I" did nothing to enhance one's self-esteem.

I suppose she had a point. We are much concerned about having a healthy sense of self-esteem in regard to ourselves, and especially for our childr…