Saturday, March 21, 2020
The Rev. Nathaniel Bourne
Collect
O God, you know us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: Grant us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Reading
Psalm 51:15–20
15 Deliver me from death, O God, *
and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness,
O God of my salvation.
16 Open my lips, O Lord, *
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
17 Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice, *
but you take no delight in burnt-offerings.
18 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; *
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
19 Be favorable and gracious to Zion, *
and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
20 Then you will be pleased with the appointed sacrifices,
with burnt-offerings and oblations; *
then shall they offer young bullocks upon your altar.
Reflection
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; *
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
God doesn’t need us to be perfect, or to pretend like we are. All of the readings for today revolve around that theme. What’s important to God isn’t that we worship properly, or that we pray eight times a day, or that other people see us as good and righteous. What God wants of us is a sort of brutal honesty. God is there to hold us in all our frailties, brokenness, and desires. God is there to forgive when we’ve hurt others and to give us hope when we don’t feel like we have the strength to face the day. I find comfort in these words. My spirit is definitely troubled right now–troubled by the uncertainty and the disruption of daily life, troubled by not knowing what the future will bring. This psalm and the collect are the invitation I needed to offer that to God, remembering that God is there to receive what is troubling me and to give me the strength and protection I can’t muster on my own.
Question
What is troubling your spirit today? How will you offer it to God and invite God’s help to give you the strength you need?