february 26, 2021 (fri in the first week of lent)

For today's readings click HERE.

by: Ruth Thillen
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Collect for Purity BCP p. 355 Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

​As we moved into Lent, this prayer at the beginning of our worship was set aside in favor of the Penitential Order, including the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments. First, let me say, I love hearing and responding to the Commandments; clear direction for our interactions with God and with each other, and a connection to the history of our faith. That makes the Collect for Purity, which I have heard over and over, all my life as a “cradle” Episcopalian, even stronger for me. All hearts are open, all desires known, no secrets hidden. Whoa! So God knows when I say something nice to someone, but in my head and heart, I am saying something else, something less kind. So as we recite this prayer, I am called to clean up my act, and I know that I can’t do that without God’s help. So I mean it when I say “Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts [my heart] by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit.” And when we get to the Confession (which happens earlier in the service during Lent, but later during the rest of the year), I am ready to open up to God and leave behind that nasty thought. Then I can more easily love God, and sing his praises, and glorify his name. And patiently (I hope) await the Resurrection.