Sin and forgiveness

WE had PE day this morning. We had guests, which was good. however we also had writing things on bits of paper and either putting them on small bush so that people can see what was being prayed for or writing names of those we need to forgive or things we need to be forgiven for, taking the paper outside and burning it and claiming Gods promise of forgiveness. I have noticed over the years that everyone who has put this idea forward has been a woman. For me, it is symbolic and may have no substance. To obtain forgiveness, one must confess and repent, and unless one does that, then burning little bits of paper with sins on them has no meaning, and I know that I need deep cleansing at times. I need to do as the apostle paul did who said that he beat his body so that it becomes his slave. In other words he disciplined himself so that he avoided sin. He said lest having preached to others I myself should be disqualified from the prize. I think sin needs to be taken seriously. I was watching a video of Joan Bakewell recorded in 1970 interviewing Martin Lloyd Jones and on sin she put it to him that once sin brought shame, but now we make excuses and I think that is even more true now than it was then. Concerning forgiveness, I vividly remember a lady in my Amsterdam days say, "Do not make it cheap". I think we christians, myself included often make Gods forgiveness cheap. What we need is heartfelt, deep repentance, and then we are in fit state to do Gods work.