Thoughts for the Day

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass judgement.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow....
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

This great psalm of David should be with us for the whole of Lent as we spend time reflecting on our unworthiness to approach God. David asks God to blot out his sin, that of his adultery with Bathsheba and the effective killing of her husband Uriah the Hittite.

Many churches use candles for worship and at times like Christingle or Christmas lots of people will hold small candles. One of my nightmares is to watch people hold their candle up and simply blow it out, and consequentially they blow the liquid wax onto the seats or pews, or worse still onto the clothes of those in front of them, and onto the floor. The result can be very messy, particularly on carpets. Even taking brown paper and an iron to the wax doesn't usually get it all out, for it often just leaves a greasy mark.

David asks God to remove the complete stain of his sin, leaving no mark, knowing that God does not want words but a total transformation and acknowledgement of his wrong doing. May we too ask God to remove the stain of our sin this day, and then washed clean and in harmony with our Heavenly Father, may we ask intercessions for all those in need this day.

Righteous God,
You call us to repentance this Ash Wednesday;
to the start of a holy Lent;
and to give up those sins which
we acknowledge
and those sins which we prefer to ignore.
We ask you to blot out our transgressions
and to create a new spirit within us
that we may worship you with
joy and gladness.
Amen.