Eliza King sings, ‘I Shall Not Want’. Wherever you are now, look around you. Where can you see God active in some way? Can you take this time to place your trust for today in God’s hands of love?

I shall not want

I shall not want

For where He leads me to lie

There's always green pastures, blue sky

And where He leads me to rest

Oh the water's quiet there

The whole word is quiet there

I shall not want

I shall not want

For when the valley is deep

And death is like a shadow taunting me

There is no need to fear

For the Shepherd is no stranger here

He will lead me to the clear

And He restores my soul

And His kindness keeps me close

In the chaos and the noise

He's the still, small voice

I shall not want

I shall not want

For He invites me to know

The abundance of His table

And I am seated in view

Of every valley that we walked through

And He restores my soul

And awakens buried hope

In the chaos and the noise

He's the still, small voice

You fill my cup till it overflows

I want for nothing, I want for nothing

All through my life, every season shows

Goodness and mercy follow behind me

You fill my cup till it overflows

I want for nothing, I want for nothing

All through my life, every season shows

Goodness and mercy follow behind me

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want

Up on His shoulders He carries me home

Carries me home

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 21:33-43

‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’

Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:

“The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord’s doing,

and it is amazing in our eyes”?

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.

In today’s scripture, Jesus tells a parable to those who do not believe in him. A story can be a wonderful way of teaching. Let us join the observers.

The people would recognise the scene in the vineyard. The landowner values his property; it is carefully prepared and entrusted to the tenants. Notice the tenants. Notice their confidence, their familiarity with the place, their sense of ownership.

Now imagine the servants arriving. Then the son. Let the scene unfold without rushing. Where are you in the parable today? What emotions surface? Where do you recognise yourself - and perhaps resist that recognition?

“They will respect my son.” On the contrary, the tenants believed that they were the owners; they deserved the respect. Are there places in your life that you have claimed as your own and not recognised the Lord?

As you listen to the passage again, consider how you might hand back those parts of your life in surrender and trust.

Matthew 21:33-43

‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’

Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:

“The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord’s doing,

and it is amazing in our eyes”?

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

For the final part of this prayer, let Jesus bring you to one side, alone with him, and share your thoughts with him.

You have given all to me

To you, Lord, I return it

Everything is Yours

Do with it what You will

Give me only Your love and Your grace

That is enough for me

Amen

To help us enter into prayer today, we will hear the song Imbere Yanje, by Judah Earl, sung in Rundi:

‘Answer me my God, for it is to you that I pray...I called to the Lord, He heard my cry...I have no one else but you Father... I have placed the Lord ever before me.’

Let the beauty of this song of prayer wash over you, and place the Lord 'ever before' you as you listen...

Unyishure Mwami wanje

Kuko ari wewe nsenga

N’bariye Uhoraho

Ijwi ryanje uranyuvma

Unyishure Mwami wanje

Kuko ari wewe nsenga

Ntawundi mfise atari wewe Data

Ntamugisha mfise atari wewe

S’mfise ichiza inyuma yawe

Nashize imana imbere yanje

Nashize imana imbere yanje

Ntawundi mfise atari wewe Data

Ntamugisha mfise atar’ wewe

s’mfise ichiza unyuma yawe

Nashize imana imbere yanje

Answer me my God

For it is to you that I pray

I called to the Lord

He heard my cry

Answer me my Lord

For it is to you that I pray

I have no one else but you Father

I have no one else but you

I have no good apart from you

I have placed the lord ever before me

I have placed the lord ever before me

I have no one else but you Father

I have no blessing apart from you

I have no good apart from you

I have placed the lord ever before me

Today’s reading is from the Prophet Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Thus says the Lord:

Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals

and make mere flesh their strength,

whose hearts turn away from the Lord.

They shall be like a shrub in the desert,

and shall not see when relief comes.

They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness,

in an uninhabited salt land.

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,

whose trust is the Lord.

They shall be like a tree planted by water,

sending out its roots by the stream.

It shall not fear when heat comes,

and its leaves shall stay green;

in the year of drought it is not anxious,

and it does not cease to bear fruit.

The heart is devious above all else;

it is perverse—

who can understand it?

I the Lord test the mind

and search the heart,

to give to all according to their ways,

according to the fruit of their doings.

In today’s reading, Jeremiah calls to mind two kinds of people.

Imagine walking through a desert landscape. Take notice of the heat, the breeze, the ground underfoot. You pause at a change in the terrain.

“Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings…

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.”

To one side, a desert shrub turns in on itself - branches brittle, surviving on shallow roots, awaiting rain that may never come.

To the other side, a sister plant stands tall near running water, roots deep, filled with life.

Ask yourself, gently and honestly:

Which plant resembles your inner life right now?

What voices shape your life?

Notice that the barren plant carries no guilt - it is misplaced, starved of what it needs.

It has trusted soil that cannot sustain it. Misplaced trust slowly dries the heart.

What does it mean to be in touch with a greater truth: God’s wisdom and love?

As we hear the passage again, consider where your roots are shallow and what brings you close to living water.

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Thus says the Lord:

Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals

and make mere flesh their strength,

whose hearts turn away from the Lord.

They shall be like a shrub in the desert,

and shall not see when relief comes.

They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness,

in an uninhabited salt land.

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,

whose trust is the Lord.

They shall be like a tree planted by water,

sending out its roots by the stream.

It shall not fear when heat comes,

and its leaves shall stay green;

in the year of drought it is not anxious,

and it does not cease to bear fruit.

The heart is devious above all else;

it is perverse—

who can understand it?

I the Lord test the mind

and search the heart,

to give to all according to their ways,

according to the fruit of their doings.

“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord.”

In this time of prayer, offer your needs to the Lord and rest in God’s blessing.

You have given all to me

To you, Lord, I return it

Everything is Yours

Do with it what You will

Give me only Your love and Your grace

That is enough for me

Amen

The monks of the Abbey of Keur Moussa sing: ‘The Lord Jesus emptied himself for us, therefore God has exalted him above all things.’

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Today, there will be no repeat of the scripture.

Matthew 20:17-28

While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.’

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him. And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We are able.’ He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’

When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’

Sometimes in Scripture, it helps to step inside the scene.

They have always walked. The road to Jerusalem is well worn; relentless heat, dust rising beneath the feet of animals, pilgrims, and merchants; the jangle of heavy carts; the bleating of sheep and goats—all drawn toward the great city. Yet Jesus walks with a particular purpose, a steady rhythm in his stride.

How do you experience this journey?

“We are going up to Jerusalem…” Of course we are. But what follows - betrayal, condemnation, mockery, scourging, death - the response of his friends is left unspoken. How do you receive this shadowed prophecy?

Do you notice the quiet, resolute promise: “…and on the third day he will be raised.”

Almost at once, another voice breaks in: ambition. A mother asking for honour for her sons. Feel the strain in the air. Jesus speaks of suffering; they speak of glory.

Are there moments when you follow Jesus - yet still bargain over the path?

Jesus asks: “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?”

His words are not meant to wound. They simply name the truth of the cost. What is the “cup” set before you now? How do you meet this question?

Jesus gathers them all close.

“Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant… just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus will offer his whole life so that every person might know freedom and fullness of life. We are invited into the same unfolding journey.

Imagine Jesus asking you, this Lent, to choose your place.

What kind of freedom might be waiting there?

You have given all to me

To you, Lord, I return it

Everything is Yours

Do with it what You will

Give me only Your love and Your grace

That is enough for me

Amen

The monks of Glenstal Abbey sing Attende Domine: 'Hear us, O Lord, and have mercy, because we have sinned against you.' As you sit here and listen to this ancient chant, which has been sung for generations, pause to remind yourself that God is present here, a God of forgiveness, gracious and loving, slow to anger, abounding in goodness. Take this moment to recognise God’s presence here, and to place yourself and all your cares in God’s loving hands.

Today’s reading is from the Prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 1:10

Hear the word of the Lord,

you rulers of Sodom!

Listen to the teaching of our God,

you people of Gomorrah!

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;

remove the evil of your doings

from before my eyes;

cease to do evil,

learn to do good;

seek justice,

rescue the oppressed,

defend the orphan,

plead for the widow.

Come now, let us argue it out,

says the Lord:

though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be like snow;

though they are red like crimson,

they shall become like wool.

If you are willing and obedient,

you shall eat the good of the land;

but if you refuse and rebel,

you shall be devoured by the sword;

for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Imagine how would it feel to see Isaiah standing there in Jerusalem. The people of the holy city being compared to the ancient wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah... Enough to get your attention? Your outrage?

Now hear God speaking directly to you. This is not rejection but God seeking reconciliation. “Wash yourselves. Make yourselves clean.” Where do you feel resistance? Where do you feel a response?

‘Come now’ – this is an invitation – become people of justice. This is a God who invites conversation, who believes change is possible. Are you willing?

As you listen to the passage again, consider what might God make new in you this Lent 'if you are willing and obedient'?

Isaiah 1:10

Hear the word of the Lord,

you rulers of Sodom!

Listen to the teaching of our God,

you people of Gomorrah!

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;

remove the evil of your doings

from before my eyes;

cease to do evil,

learn to do good;

seek justice,

rescue the oppressed,

defend the orphan,

plead for the widow.

Come now, let us argue it out,

says the Lord:

though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be like snow;

though they are red like crimson,

they shall become like wool.

If you are willing and obedient,

you shall eat the good of the land;

but if you refuse and rebel,

you shall be devoured by the sword;

for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow.”

As this time of prayer draws to a close, share with the Lord your willingness to hear his word.

You have given all to me

To you, Lord, I return it

Everything is Yours

Do with it what You will

Give me only Your love and Your grace

That is enough for me

Amen

The Porter’s Gate sings, ‘Blessed Are The Merciful’.

Blessed are the merciful

For they shall receive mercy, mercy

Forgive us as we forgive those who sin against us

Lord have mercy on us

Show Your mercy through us

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 6:36-38

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.

This passage from Luke’s Sermon on the Plain, though short, gives much to reflect on.

Imagine that you are among the crowd hearing these words. Feel the atmosphere, the sense of the crowd; hear the murmur of others as they respond to Jesus’ words.

Hear his instruction: “Be merciful… Do not judge… Do not condemn… Forgive… Give.

Be aware of your response. Which words land gently - and which unsettle you?

Jesus offers a comparison: “As your Father is merciful.” You are asked to show mercy, but first you are reminded of God’s mercy. Consider times in your life when you have experienced that mercy - or perhaps you find it hard to believe that this applies to you.

Then come the words - judgment, condemnation, withholding. Who comes to mind when you hear them? Simply notice what rises in your heart.

Jesus then speaks of a measure - pressed down, shaken together, running over. What if God took the measure you use for others? How does that image make you feel?

As you listen to the passage again, think about mercy - not as an ideal, but how it feels in your life.

Luke 6:36-38

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” As this time of prayer draws to a close, share with Jesus your response to his words.

You have given all to me

To you, Lord, I return it

Everything is Yours

Do with it what You will

Give me only Your love and Your grace

That is enough for me

Amen

Nick Chambers sings, ‘It Is Good To Be Here With You’, words we will hear in our scripture passage today. As you enter into prayer, slow down into this time and recognise the kind gaze of the Lord over you now.

When you bring me up the mount,

Into the brightness of the cloud

Even when I cannot stay,

when I don’t know what to say.

It is good to be here with you, with you.

When I hear the voice above

“This is my Beloved Son”

When I’m shaken by the sound

With my face pressed to the ground

It is good to be here

It is good to be here with you, with you.

With your touch, I hear you say,

“Rise and do not be afraid”

When I look it’s only you

The face that I thought that I knew

It is good to be here

It is good to be here with you, with you.

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 17:1-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

This is a good passage to let your imagination loose upon. What would it have been like to join Jesus and his closest disciples on that mountain?

What does this passage add to the picture of Jesus that you might have built up from the rest of the description of his public ministry in the gospels?

Peter’s response to what’s happening, his offer to “make three dwellings”, might well strike you as rather odd. What might you have said, or wish you had said, if you’d been with them?

Listening again, notice the words of God the Father, spoken from the cloud. Hear them addressed to you directly. How do you respond?

Matthew 17:1-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

Talk, finally, to Jesus about what you’ve experienced and felt in this time of prayer. Notice if there’s anything more that he wants to say to you about it.

You have given all to me

To You, Lord, I return it.

Everything is Yours, do with it what you will.

Give me only Your love and Your grace,

That is enough for me.

Amen.

Each Saturday Pray As You Go invites you to look back over the week, to let God show you more clearly where and how God has been present in your life, and to notice again your own responses to God’s presence and action. Start this time of prayer, then, by asking God for the gift of a deepened vision of the last few days.

Use your favourite image for this kind of review. Maybe you picture a landscape, with pleasant fields, rocky mountains, and a twisting road. Maybe you prefer to think of your week as weather – where were the foggy, murky times? When did the sun break though? Or maybe you review the week like a film unfolding, noticing the dramatic highlights and the quieter scenes. However you do it, let the week unfold again before your mind’s eye.

Stay particularly with those times when you were then, or are now, most aware of God’s presence.

Speak with God for a few minutes about those moments, and your reaction to them. Did you enjoy God’s presence? Did you even notice it at the time, or are you only doing so now, with hindsight? How well, or badly, have you used the gifts God has given you this week?

Finally, look to the week ahead. What gift could God give you now that would most help you to live as a faithful disciple in the days ahead?

You have given all to me

To You, Lord, I return it.

Everything is Yours, do with it what you will.

Give me only Your love and Your grace,

That is enough for me.

Amen.

The community of Taizé sing Behüte mich, Gott: “Keep me God, for I trust in you. You show me the path of life. With you there is fullness of joy.”

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 5:20-26

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

On a first hearing, you could be forgiven for finding this passage difficult. Do you? If so, ask yourself why. And if not, ask yourself why not.

Remember that the scribes and Pharisees were, for the most part, trying to live out God’s law as they understood it. But Jesus seems to want to set a higher standard. How do you react to his way of putting things here?

Jesus pulls no punches here. He mentions harsh judgement, imprisonment, and the fires of hell. What are the positive values that he is wanting so much to preserve and promote here?

As you listen again, try and get some sense of the tone that Jesus is using to make these pronouncements. How does he look as he says these things?

Matthew 5:20-26

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

You might, finally, want to speak with Jesus about anything in your life that needs to change as a result of hearing this message.

You have given all to me

To You, Lord, I return it.

Everything is Yours, do with it what you will.

Give me only Your love and Your grace,

That is enough for me.

Amen.

The Cape Town Camerata sings, Ndikhokhele Bawo: Lead me, Father. As you listen, reflect on the God of kindness today, who is leading you through life (perhaps even in ways you haven’t noticed yet...).

Ndikhokhele Bawo, zundikhokhele (Lead me oh Father, lead me)

Ndikhokhele mmeli wami ezintsizini, Zalomhlaba Bawo (Lead me my saviour in all the sorrows of this world, Father)

Bawo, Bawo, Bawo (Father, Father, Father)

Bawo ndiyabonga Ngoba wena usandigcinile (Father I thank you, for you still protect me)

Mmeli wami Bawo uhlal’ uhlele duzekwami (Father, Saviour, you calm my fears)

Bawo ndiyabonga ngoba wena usandigcinile (Father I thank you, for you still protect me)

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 7:7-12

‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.'

Today’s reading starts with an assurance that when we ask, search for, or knock at the door of God, we will always get a positive response from God. Can you point to moments in your own life that convince you that that’s true?

The reading goes on to say that we react to our children in this generous way. At least when we’re at our best! Remember for a moment or two a few times when you’ve responded generously to those in need.

As the passage is read again, notice how Jesus claims that this sums up “the law and the prophets”. Why is that, do you think?

Matthew 7:7-12

‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.'

Here, as elsewhere in the gospel, Jesus encourages us to ask God the Father for all that we need. As this prayer draws to a close, ask God for whatever it is that you most need today.

You have given all to me

To You, Lord, I return it.

Everything is Yours, do with it what you will.

Give me only Your love and Your grace,

That is enough for me.

Amen.

Paul Zach, Jessica Fox and IAmSon sing, ‘Create in Me’, a setting of Psalm 51. We will pray with this Psalm today, so as you enter into prayer, let the gentleness of this music carry you.

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord

Against you only I have sinned

Done evil in your sight

But you have shown me what I’ve done

With mercy in your eyes

Then wash my shame and guilt away

My weary soul renew

From all my sinning turn your face

Let me return to you

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord

So I will give you what you ask

A humble, broken heart

A spirit burning down to ash

Within your flame, O God

And this will be your mercy, Lord

Transforming all of me

Til every act and every word

Your love and glory speaks

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord

Have mercy on me

According to your endless love

Today’s reading is from Psalm 51.

Psalm 51:3-4

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

Against 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 judgement.

Most of us are very aware of our faults and failings, or at least some of them. What do you find yourself thinking about when you first hear this passage?

The words of the psalm invite us to recognise that it is God against whom we sin, even before it affects our neighbours or those close to us. How do you react to that realization?

The psalmist concludes that God is justified in judging and even condemning us. What is it like to be on the receiving end of God’s judgement in this way? And how might God’s mercy play a part?

As this short passage is read again, listen to it in the context of your experience of God’s merciful love for you.

Psalm 51:3-4:

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

Against 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 judgement.

Take a few moments to respond to the Father, or to Jesus, who temper their justice with mercy.

You have given all to me

To You, Lord, I return it.

Everything is Yours, do with it what you will.

Give me only Your love and Your grace,

That is enough for me.

Amen.