The Watchword for the Week:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart. Psalm 32:11
In this Lenten season, Loving God, you call us to a time of reflection and contemplation.
A time to ponder where our wandering steps have separated us from you.
A time to consider all of who we are and where you want us to be.
A time to confess our sins and establish a proper relationship with you.
O Lord, we so want to be upright in heart.
May your comforting spirit allow us to unburden our souls.
Psalm 32
1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
6 Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
Confession of Sin (from the MBW Lent 2 Liturgy, pp. 78-79)
Lord Jesus, we come before you in humble confession. Help us conform our lives to you as the model for holy and righteous living.
Forgive us for our desire for personal greatness, for our attempts to make gods of ourselves, for our willingness to exalt ourselves at the expense of others, and for our resistance to serving one another as you have served us.
Forgive us for making light of your obedience and sacrifice on the cross by living an undisciplined and indifferent Christian witness; forgive us for yielding to fear rather than relying on your strength to take the risks of discipleship.
Forgive us, dear Jesus, for times we have not looked to you as our Lord, and for allowing the clamoring distractions of the world to become higher priorities than you. Forgive us for yielding more to the temptations of this world than being transformed by your lordship over our lives.
“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Joel 2:12-12
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.
Take time to read today’s Daily Texts. If you do not have a copy of the Daily Texts, you will find today’s texts posted in the margin on your page’s right side (at the bottom of the page if you are on a mobile phone). God speaks to us through the inspiration of scripture, so approach the opportunity to read the texts as a privilege, eagerly anticipating what might be conveyed to you today. How might today’s Word make a part of your life new again? When you have finished praying, continue as follows.
Creator of us all, we praise your name because you have lovingly made each of us. May your intended purpose be made real here on earth, even as it is already done in heaven. Feed us today with the things we truly need, and may we share our abundance with others. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have done wrong to us. In times of temptation, may we know of your life-giving strength and keep us from all evil. Gracious God, this is your kingdom, and we acknowledge your power and glory now and forever more. AMEN.
Throughout this Lenten journey, let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
We thank you, Lord Jesus, for humbling yourself for the good of all humanity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts since, as members of the body, we were called to peace. And let us be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. Whatever we do, therefore, whether in word or deed, let us do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Amen.