Ash Wednesday: Lent begins again

Today is Ash Wednesday and we went to worship at Clear Lake Presbyterian Church.  During worship we got marked with ashes from the burnt Palms of last year's Pam Sunday as a reminder that it is a day of repentance which begins the liturgical season of Lent.  As a cross is marked on each of our foreheads the pastor says, ".... you are dust and,to dust you shall return (Gen. 3:19)".

During Lenten season we remember the 40 days and 40 nights of Jesus fasting and praying in the wilderness.  We observe Lent by praying, meditating, reflecting upon our lives and ways of living.  We read scriptures and we remember Jesus and his life that was give by God for us.

So, it begins today, the Lenten Season for this year.  Let us observe the season with humility.

Scripture reading for Ash Wednesday:
Psalm 51:1-17
Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon

To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
   blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
   and cleanse me from my sin. 

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.
Indeed, I was born guilty,
   a sinner when my mother conceived me. 

You desire truth in the inward being;
   therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
   wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
   let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
   and blot out all my iniquities. 

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. 

Matthew 6:1-6
Concerning Almsgiving

‘Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

 ‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

And also:  Joel 2:1-2, 12-17;  2 Corinthians 5:20b