Week 2 - Psalm 51
Wednesday,
February 25, 2015
A
Reflection on Forgiveness from Pr. Myron Olson
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and the Psalm for that day is
Psalm 51. It is a prayer of confession as well as a song of forgiveness.
King David had committed adultery and murder (2 Samuel
11:1-7). In this Psalm he pleads with God to cleanse him from sin’s stain. The
image is not one of a superficial wiping away, but one of a deep scrubbing of
the soul. The result of David’s confession is a heart made not merely clean,
but as white as snow, and then filled with the joy of salvation. David had the
courage both to confess and to accept divine forgiveness. David’s prayer
assures us that no matter how dark the stain, God can create a clean heart and
a right spirit within us. May I suggest that you make this Psalm your daily
prayer of personal confession during Lent this year.
It’s also a song to sing—cleansed, we now rejoice (Vs.
10-12). “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your free spirit.”
We sing two versions of this song at non-Communion services (ELW hymns 185 and
186). May I also suggest that you take this Psalm as your daily song of
restored joy this Lenten season.
O Lord,
give us not only the courage to confess our brokenness, but also the courage to
accept your renewing of our spirits. Amen
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