Which are these?
Here consider your station according to the Ten
Commandments, whether you are a father, mother, son, daughter, master,
mistress, a man-servant or maid-servant; whether you have been disobedient,
unfaithful, slothful; whether you have grieved any one by words or deeds;
whether you have stolen, neglected, or wasted aught, or done other injury.
St. Paul reminds us in Romans 3:20 “By the Law
is the knowledge of sin.” Consider your
life lived under the Ten Commandments. What will you find? You find failure. You find iniquity. You find
you have missed the mark of God’s perfection. You find frustration, misery and
sin. Repent! You can’t get around it. You can’t make excuses for yourself. You
can’t work yourself out of your sin. Confess you sin and repent.
But
do more than confess and repent. Believe! Believe in the Father’s promises.
Believe in Jesus’ work for you. Trust the Father’s promise to forgive, restore
and renew. Confession, is it good for the soul? Only so far. Absolution, the
Father’s pronouncement of Jesus’ forgiveness. Grace, God’s do-over! Now that is
what is good for your soul!
Almighty
and everlasting God, You despise nothing You have made and forgive the sins of
all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts that lamenting our
sins and acknowledging our wretchedness we may receive from You full pardon and
forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Collect for Ash Wednesday, Lutheran Service Book © 2008
Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
Artwork by Ed Rojas, © Higher Things
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