June 22, 2021 — Psalm 51           

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,  O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you have no delight in sacrifice;  if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:10-17

I remember singing the Offertory from the SBH (Service Book and Hymnal) “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.”  This text is taken from the 51^st Psalm. Psalm 51 is one of the penitential psalms. Psalm 51 is often called the “Miserere” which is the opening word of the psalm in the Latin translation. It is a personal statement of awareness of our wrongdoing and need for repentance and penitence.  Verse 17, which reads “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit” is a wonderful acknowledgment of human sinfulness which is why it is appointed for Ash Wednesday.

Forgiveness begins with recognizing our sin and our need for repentance. We can always count on our Lutheran Liturgy to give us the proper words to lead us in the way of personal and corporate worship and prayer.

Pastor Dave