March 9: A Prayer of Repentance
♫ Music:
Day 8 - Wednesday, March 9
Title: A PRAYER OF REPENTANCE
Scripture: Psalm 51
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast 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 uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar
Poetry:
Formal Brief: The Name
by Scott Cairns
Forgive my having recourse just above
to the legalistic idiom. Forgive
my having chosen to pursue a measured
argument, and in such lax verse. Forgive
as well my penchant for ironic tone,
for all my insufficiencies—those few
committed here, the many others—there.
And now that you are in the mood, extend
the courtesy to those who likewise don’t
deserve it. Address the water in the pool
and leaning in forgive yourself. The Name
won’t bear repeating—I dare say—without
such kind provision. Even so, The Name
will bear thereafter subtle fruit suffused
beyond our reckoning, which also serves
as sweet inducement to repeat The Name.
Some among the saints have found in time
their prayer avails most palpably in silence,
and some have found a path from mind to heart.
Regarding such, I may have more to say
in future, but let’s not hold our breaths.
My own rough habit has led to my preferring
to invoke The Name aloud, to draw its shape
into my mouth, to bring together breath
and word, to feel those syllables proceed
as tremor into trembling air before me,
to hear my own voice colored by The Name
to taste and see—and then to bathe in silence.
CONFIDENT CONFESSION
David’s confession in Psalm 51 used to strike me as inappropriate. How could someone who had just committed adultery and murder dare to turn around and ask God to restore his joy? Somehow it seemed more acceptable for this abuser to linger longer over his guilt, demonstrating a level of remorse and self-deprecation equal to the magnitude of his offense. But David’s confession, while admittedly contrite, smacked of an audacity I assumed would displease the God I had been taught to fear. How could one who had failed so miserably approach the throne of God with this level of confidence?
Returning to this prayer again, I can see how David’s knowledge of God challenges my former perception. This was the God whose justice he had witnessed on the battlefields of Canaan, whose wrath he had witnessed in the striking down of a young man for daring to touch the ark, and whose holiness he had witnessed in the taking away of the Holy Spirit from his predecessor Saul. David knew full well the consequences of offending God and what was at stake in his confession. But he also knew the God with whom he was speaking. God’s self-description to Moses matched His self-revelation to David: “Yahweh, Yahweh, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin” (Exodus 34:6-7, Psalm 103:7-14). David knew Him to be the sort of father who was already standing with his hands outstretched, longing for His prodigal child to repent into His warm embrace. Instead of a self-condemning “I am no longer worthy to be called your son,” David exposed his sin in the full light of who God is.
What keeps us from running into those same arms when we know we have been wrong? What traps us on the swinging pendulum that oscillates between self-deceiving pride and self-loathing shame? I suspect it has to do with how we imagine the look on God’s face when we come before Him. If He is Judge, won’t we feel judged? If He is holy, won’t we feel dirty? But one look at the tender compassion on our Father’s face transforms our experience of confession. It infuses us with both the courage and the humility to come clean, with God and with ourselves. It undresses our tendency to either avoid the reflecting pool or drown in it, inviting us instead to plunge in with confident faith that our Father’s love will make it for us a healing, purifying bath.
Far from resulting in the rejection we fear, repentance leads us to the Love we long for. God’s perfect love cast out David’s fear and gave him confidence to ask for help in becoming holy. As it turns out, his anticipated songs of joy and restored relationship were an accurate depiction of how his Father would celebrate his homecoming.
In an age when we vacillate between self-righteous condemnation of abusers and self-loathing condemnation of ourselves, confident confession based on God’s unfailing love for us offers a life-giving middle way. Of course we fall short of the glory of God. But perfect Love does not cancel. It renews the invitation to turn back, confessing our sins in the hope that “we shall be born again to be blessed in Your love.”
Prayer:
Holy Lord, sometimes curtains obscure your loving face. I want to return to you—to be still, at home in your embrace. But I am aware of all the “not good” within me. I feel disqualified from your love. Holy Comforter, give me the courage to bring my naked self into your presence. Bathe me, wipe me, and clothe me again. Tuck me under your arm and reassure me of your love. Save me; I am yours.
Amen
Tiffany Clark
Author, Spiritual Director, Adjunct Professor
Global Leadership Consultant with
Development Associates International
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Artwork:
Still
Alison Watt
2004
12 x 12 ft.
Warriors Chapel, Old St. Paul's Church
Edinburgh, Scotland
Artist Alison Watt’s painting, Still, hangs in the Warriors’ Chapel in Old St. Paul’s Church in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a large four-paneled painting that hangs above the altar in the church's WWI memorial chapel built to commemorate the many young men from the parish who died in World War I. Watt was moved by the simplicity of the space and conceived a work of art that both conveys a sense of loss but also establishes a feeling of hope––a sense that against all hope, hope still remains. Depicting draped white fabric that appears suspended in midair, the work suggests “an absence that is strangely like a presence,” says Richard Holloway, chair of the Scottish Arts Council. A simple black cross emerges from the negative space between the panels: “It puts resurrection into the place of loss,” comments the church rector.
https://www.artandchristianity.org/alison-watt-still
About the Artist:
Alison Watt (b. 1965) is a contemporary Scottish painter known for her realistic depictions of drapery and figures. Watt has cited the work of French neoclassical painter Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres as a particular source of inspiration for her practice. “The longer I look at drapery in painting, the more I seem to lose my connection with its original purpose,” she has explained. “It begins to suggest other things to me and becomes a boundary between abstraction and figuration.” Watt attended the Glasgow School of Art, during which time she won the 1987 Portrait Award from the National Portrait Gallery in London, with her Self-Portrait (1986–87). The recognition from the award led to her being asked to paint the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Watt currently lives and works in Edinburgh, Scotland. Today, the artist’s works are held in the collections of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, the Uffizi Collection in Florence, and the National Portrait Gallery in London, among others.
http://www.artnet.com/artists/alison-watt/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alison_Watt_(Scottish_painter)
https://www.artandchristianity.org/alison-watt-still
About the Music #1:
“Create In Me a Clean Heart” from the album Jesus Commands Us to Go!
Lyrics #1:
Create in me a clean heart, O God
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, O God
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away from Thy presence, O Lord
And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me, the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, O God
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, O God
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away from Thy presence, O Lord
Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me, the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, O God
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, O God
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away from Thy presence, O Lord
And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me, the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me
About the Performer/Composer #1:
Keith Green (1953–1982) was an American contemporary Christian musician, pianist, singer, and songwriter originally from Brooklyn, New York. Beyond his music, Green is best known for his strong devotion to Christian evangelism. Often considered controversial for his frequently confrontational lyrics and spoken messages, he wrote some notable songs alone and with his wife, Melody Green, including "Your Love Broke Through," "You Put This Love in My Heart," and "Asleep in the Light." Green is also known for numerous popular modern hymns, including "O Lord, You're Beautiful" and "There is a Redeemer."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Green
https://www.lastdaysministries.org/Groups/1000008700/Last_Days_Ministries/Keith_Green/Bio/Bio.aspx
About the Music #2:
“Create In Me” from the album Conquerors
Lyrics #2:
Create in me a clean heart oh God
Let me be like you in all my ways
Give me your strength, teach me your song
Shelter me in the shadow of your wings
For we are your righteousness
If we die to ourselves and live through your death
Then we shall be born again to be blessed in your love!
About the Performers #2:
The Acappella Company is an all-male contemporary Christian vocal group founded in 1982 by Keith Lancaster, who has been a singer, songwriter, and producer throughout the group's history. The group only consists of vocalists who sing in the a cappella style without any instrumental accompaniment. Acappella's fan base steadily grew through the 1980s as the group experienced many lineup changes and constantly experimented with fresh new sounds. The landmark album Sweet Fellowship (1988) ushered in one of the most significant developments in the group's membership and style. At that time, Lancaster stepped out of the group as lead singer to focus on the role of producer and manager. The group continued to change after that, developing a unique sound that has been mimicked by countless groups around the world. After exploring various musical styles over more than three decades, Acappella has returned to its roots, utilizing an extensive host of alumni vocalists to fill current concerts. Acappella's worldwide impact was recognized with the group's 2007 induction into the Christian Music Hall of Fame.
https://acappella.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acappella_(group)
About the Composer #2:
Terry Talbot (song originally recorded by John Michael and Terry Talbot)
Terry Talbot is an American singer/songwriter. Terry and his brother John began performing in the country rock band Mason Proffit. Mason Proffit released thirty albums and together the Talbot brothers recorded five albums and their opening acts included John Denver, The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, and Dan Fogleberg. Terry's production skills and onstage energy were a foundational component of the band’s reputation as as pioneers and innovators in the emerging country rock movement of the late 1960s. Terry has been nominated for a number of Grammy and Dove awards. In the last few years he has released six CDs and a live video. Terry is still heralded by many critics to be one of folk rock’s finest acoustic guitarists. He now spends his time in Fresno, California, where he teaches guitar and produces music for various artists. He is also the worship director at Golden Valley Church. He often performs around Central California.
https://www.christianmusicarchive.com/artist/terry-talbot
About the Poet:
Scott Cairns (b. 1954) is an American poet, memoirist, and essayist. Cairns earned a B.A. from Western Washington University, an M.A. from Hollins University, an M.F.A. from Bowling Green State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Utah. Cairns has served on the faculties of Kansas State University, Westminster College, University of North Texas, Old Dominion University, and University of Missouri. While at the University of North Texas, he served as editor of the American Literary Review. Cairns is the author of eight collections of poetry, one collection of translations of Christian mystics, one spiritual memoir, and a book-length essay on suffering. He also co-edited The Sacred Place, an anthology of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, with Scott Olsen. Dr. Cairns is currently the program director of Seattle Pacific University’s M.F.A. in Creative Writing program. Cairns has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and was awarded the Denise Levertov Award in 2014.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/scott-cairns
https://imagejournal.org/artist/scott-cairns/
About the Devotion Author:
Tiffany Clark
Author, Spiritual Director, Adjunct Professor
Global Leadership Consultant with
Development Associates International
Tiffany Clark (M.A., I.C.S.) is an author, adjunct professor, and spiritual director, specializing in the ongoing spiritual formation of global Christian leaders. Tiffany and her family recently relocated to Washington, D.C., after twenty years of service in South Asia. She continues to facilitate graduate courses and virtual workshops for Christian leaders around the world, and blogs at messytheology.wordpress.com. She serves as Assistant Lay Minister at Christ Church, Georgetown.