The LORD God is the Creator of the ends of the earth. He has established laws in nature which govern all the processes of life–planting, growth, cultivation and harvest. These principles give us insight on how to conduct our lives, families, churches, and societies (to continue reading this essay, click on image above).
Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God, Psalm 51.1-17 (ASH WEDNESDAY)
In Psalm 51.1-17, David offers to the Lord his prayer of repentance following his sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the orchestrated death of her husband Uriah. He appeals not to his own merits but to God’s unfailing love and compassion as the foundation for forgiveness. He acknowledges the depth and breadth of his sin, and recognizes his specific transgressions and his inherent sinful nature from birth. Depending on God alone, he pleads for the Spirit’s renewal—cleansing, restoration of joy, and the creation of a pure heart and steadfast spirit.
Our Focus Today
Plea for Divine Mercy.
David appeals to God’s unfailing love and great compassion as the basis for forgiveness, Psalm 51.1-17.
Invocation
We beseech Thee, our most gracious God, preserve us from the cares of this life, lest we should be too much entangled therein; also from the many necessities of the body, lest we should be ensnared by pleasure; and from whatsoever is an obstacle to the soul, lest, being broken with troubles, we should be overthrown. Give us strength to resist, patience to endure, and constancy to persevere; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
~ Thomas á Kempis, A.D. 1379 (Fox, p. 217) Fox, Selina Fitzherbert. A Chain of Prayer Across the Ages: Forty Centuries of Prayer, 2000 B.C.-A.D. 1916. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1943.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.
Chronological Scripture Readings for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the entire Bible in one year in chronological order.
Ash Wednesday: Judges 16-18
Lectionary Readings for Today
Our readings from the Psalms, the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Epistles are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary for this Feast Day.
Psalm: Psalm 51.1-17
Old Testament (or Acts [during Eastertide]): Joel 2.1-2, 12-17
Gospel: Luke 15.1-3,11-32
New Testament: 2 Cor. 5.16-21
Click here for all of this week’s Scripture readings
Psalms and Proverb for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the Psalms and Proverbs each month.
Ash Wednesday: Psalm 5, 35, 65, 95, 125 and Proverbs 5
Plea for Divine Mercy.
David appeals to God’s unfailing love and great compassion as the basis for forgiveness, Psalm 51.1-17.
Reflection
The profound path of true repentance begins by appealing to God’s character rather than our own deservingness, continues with honest admission of both our actions and our sinful nature, and culminates in a transformed life that impacts others. David’s comprehensive prayer demonstrates that genuine repentance seeks not merely the removal of guilt but complete renewal—a new heart, a steadfast spirit, and a restored relationship with God that brings joy despite the genuine pain of confronting our failures. On this Ash Wednesday we should follow David’s pattern by refusing to minimize our wrongdoing, by placing our hope entirely in God’s unfailing love, and letting our restored relationship with God overflow in teaching others in the Way of Christ.
Engaging God’s Word Today
In what ways have you been offering God external religious performances rather than the broken and contrite heart he truly desires? What steps do you need to take today to open your heart to God’s forgiveness and true brokenness?
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, The Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God,
Begotten of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God,
Begotten not created, of the same essence as the Father,
through Whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became human.
Who for us too, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried.
The third day He rose again according to the Scriptures, ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and life-giver,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Who together with the Father and Son is worshiped and glorified.
Who spoke by the prophets.
We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sin,
and we look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the age to come. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Benediction
Almighty God, we beseech Thee to hear our prayers for all who sin against Thee, or neglect to serve Thee, all who forget Thee, all who leave Thee out of their lives. O Lord, have mercy upon them; bestow upon us all true repentance and an earnest longing for Thyself. Vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to strengthen and confirm all Thy faithful people, and to lift up the light of Thy face upon them, giving them continually heavenly desires, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ From an Ancient Collect, A.D. 440 (Fox, p. 104) Fox, Selina Fitzherbert. A Chain of Prayer Across the Ages: Forty Centuries of Prayer, 2000 B.C.-A.D. 1916. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1943.
Scripture Memory for this season
Ecclesiastes 3.1-2 (ESV):
1 “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;”
Scripture Engagement
As disciples of Jesus, the Churches of Christ the King strongly seek to engage the Scriptures to discover the centrality of Christ and his Kingdom in the prophetic and apostolic writings. You will find a rich treasure of resources on engaging Scripture at the Center for Scripture Engagement of Taylor University.
Book Reading and Reflection
Compassion and Solidarity.
“Let us not underestimate how hard it is to be compassionate. Compassion is hard because it requires the inner disposition to go with others to the place where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely, and broken. But this is not our spontaneous response to suffering. What we desire most is to do away with suffering by fleeing from it or finding a quick cure for it. As busy, active, relevant ministers, we want to earn our bread by making a real contribution. This means first and foremost doing something to show that our presence makes a difference. And so we ignore our greatest gift, which is our ability to enter into solidarity with those who suffer.
It is in solitude that this compassionate solidarity grows. In solitude we realize that nothing human is alien to us, that the roots of all conflict, war, injustice, cruelty, hatred, jealousy, and envy are deeply anchored in our own heart. In solitude our heart of stone can be turned into a heart of flesh, a rebellious heart into a contrite heart, and a closed heart into a heart that can open itself to all suffering people in a gesture of solidarity.”
~ Nouwen, Henri J. M., The Way of the Heart: Connecting with God through Prayer, Wisdom and Silence. Ballantine Books (A Penguin Random House Company), New York City, NY: 2003. Electronic Edition, Location 251.
Seedling Focus for the Season: A Time for Everything
Description: Just as there are seasons in nature, there are seasons in our spiritual journey, Ecc. 3.1-2.
On Eagles Wings Prayer Focus: A Long Time Comin‘
Jesus Anointed at Bethany, John 12.1-8.
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