Welcome to the Web page for Advent and Lenten Devotions! Each year, Weaver Chapel Association, a student chapel ministry, organizes daily devotions for the seasons of Advent (leading up to Christmas) and Lent (leading from Ash Wednesday through to Good Friday).
They are written by members of the Wittenberg community, far and wide: students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and members of the Board of Directors.
Watch for this page to be updated during the Advent and Lenten seasons.
If you would like to receive these seasonal in your inbox every day during Advent and Lent, you may ask to be included on the daily devotions listserve by e-mailing chapel@twhz.net, with the subject line, "add to devotional listserve."
May these devotions help us live in the grace and peace of our Lord and Savior!
Psalm 51:1-4
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
For I recognize my shameful deeds' they haunt me day and night.
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.
Have you ever done something so wrong that you got sick, or you couldn't sleep?
I have, and I wish at those times someone would have told me to read this passage. When David wrote this he was responding to the prophet Nathan coming after him for committing adultery with Bathsheba. He wrote it out of guilt. Our culture today says that sex is something public and acceptable without a marriage. What we don't hear or see is how much the guilt we feel can cause us to doubt our faith and our status as a child of God. What I love about this psalm is that David is wracked with guilt, but he never doubts that God cares what happens to him. In fact, David is COUNTING ON IT. If God didn't care and he knew it, the hope would be gone. Look at the flow of the words.
Have mercy on me,
blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
David knows that God is the only one who can save him from himself, and isn't that the truth of our lives as well. We can gain forgiveness from others...sometimes; but God says we only have to ask and we will be forgiven. That means that WE must ASK Him to ACT.
Being the type A, control-lover that I am, it is incredibly difficult for me to allow God to take action on something that is so obviously my fault. Now here's something to think about...God already took action in your life. He sent Jesus to cover ALL your sins. You can't change the fact that he came for YOU. God wants you with him. He wants to be active in your life. He only needs the opportunity.
So in this reflective time of Lent, here is my prayer for all of us.
Holy God, we are wrong, sinners, poor choice-makers, and guilty people. Help us find the strength to allow you to act in our lives. Give us courage to look at our lives and see where we need forgiveness and cleansing, and grant us peace in your enormous love for us. Amen.
-Katie Proctor '06