Thoughts for the Day

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.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.....

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

There are some words in the bible that leap out at me, they are part of my life.. Aged about four I can remember sitting on the child seat on my mother's bicycle to go to a church service at Deepcut in Hampshire, and also the day the bike hit the root of a fir tree in the woods and we both fell off! Then there I remember being allowed to stand on the seat in the little Chapel, watching her lips, to try and sing the hymns. I'm afraid I can't remember the sermons though! Today's words from Psalm 51 may have been heard then, or perhaps later when I joined a Parish Church Choir. Certainly the phrase "O Lord, open thou our lips" and its answering response, "And our mouth shall show forth thy praise" was sung every week at Matins.

But it's the phrase "Create in me a clean heart" that really speaks to me. Often found in anthems, what does it mean? I have certainly pondered on this over the years. Does it mean that we shouldn't swear, or have impure thoughts? Well we probably shouldn't, but it occurs to me that if we wash something clean it usually returns to as near as possible to its original state. Perhaps it means asking God to restore us to such a state, to forgive our daily sin, and enable us to turn again to Him with love and trust. O Lord, may You open our lips so that we may indeed praise You!

Lord God,
help us to look at ourselves objectively -
at the grey and grubby mess that is so often us,
and at the optimistic promises we make to You.
Teach us to learn from this examination,
so that we may know for what we ask,
and appreciate Your forgiveness.
Then enable us to start afresh,
and praise Your name,
as we move towards Lent.
Amen.