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. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4Against 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 judgment. 5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.

6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt-offering, you would not be pleased. 17 The sacrifice acceptable to God* is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. -Psalm 51:1-17

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season. For some of you the season of Lent is a familiar occurrence. For others, Lent might be a confusing concept. Lent is observed for a 40-day period before Easter each year. It is a solemn time of preparation in the life in the church. Although the word “Lent” never appears in the Bible, the practice derives from biblical examples. Jesus spent 40 days being tempted in the wilderness after he was baptized and before he began his public ministry. Moses and Elijah also spent 40 days in the wilderness praying and fasting in hopes to hear a word from God. During Lent, Christians are invited to spend 40 days preparing for the Good News of Easter. Easter is a new beginning, but first we must get ready. We get ready by spending 40 days of self-introspection. During this time of self-examination, we admit our short-comings, our failures, our lack of self-discipline. Ultimately, we admit our failure to be the person that God created us to be. After we acknowledge our short-comings, we get rid of that which is interfering in our relationship with God. During Lent, our goal is to get rid of the bad, in order that we can receive the new on Easter morning.

Psalm 51 is traditionally used on Ash Wednesday. It captures this very element of self-examination and confession. It shows the staining and contaminating quality of sin. In the Old Testament in order to get rid of sin, they would perform sin sacrifices where blood was often associated with washing and cleansing. Hence, the hyssop bush was used in cleansing ceremonies. Today we do not use hyssop bushes, but we still understand the pervasiveness of sin. No one seems to be free from its contaminating nature. We all struggle to be the person that God has created us to be. We all fall short. Psalm 51 is able to be honest with personal short-comings and downright failures. Lent calls us to launch an honest personal inquiry. Being honest with our failures and asking for forgiveness honors God. In order to experience the joy of Easter morning, we must cleanse the old in order to be created anew. Use Psalm 51 as a personal prayer as you begin the season of Lent.

Prayer: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Amen.