February 13, 2024 • 12 mins
As we usher in the reflective season of Lent, Pastor Lora East invites you to join her on a journey of spiritual discovery and transformation. Embarking from the solemnity of Ash Wednesday, we'll traverse together through moments of self-examination and repentance, seeking the profound lessons of Psalm 51. The ashes we receive are not just reminders of our mortality, but signals of the rebirth to come through Christ. This episode is an invitation to explore the depths of our faith, as we prepare our hearts for the joyous celebration of Easter, and to contemplate the sustaining role of our beliefs in the face of life's inevitable challenges.
In our sacred space at Brentwood Presbyterian Church, we gather not just as a congregation but as a community committed to nurturing resilient faith. Our reflection on adversity isn't just about enduring it, but finding strength and support within our belief and each other. I encourage you to immerse yourself in this conversation, where we aren't just passively listening but actively participating in the growth of our spiritual fortitude. Together, let's emerge from this season with a fortified sense of purpose and invigoration for the path that lies ahead.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to Resilient Faith, the podcast.
Opportunities to find deeperresilience within ourselves can
come when life seems mostchallenging.
This podcast is to help youdevelop that resilience and
connection with God.
Being resilient and havingpower starts with faith.
(00:32):
Welcome, friends, to anotherepisode of the Resilient Faith
podcast.
My name is Pastor Laura Eastand I'm the Associate Pastor at
Brentwood Presbyterian Church.
(00:52):
We are so glad that you arewith us today as we mark the
beginning of the season of Lent.
Ash Wednesday marks thebeginning of this season.
Lent is a time to prepare forthe celebration of Easter and to
renew our life in the mysteryof the saving death and
(01:15):
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We begin this holy season byacknowledging our need for the
mercy, forgiveness and hope ofeverlasting life proclaimed in
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We begin our journey to Easterwith the sign of ashes, a
(01:37):
biblical symbol of mourning andpenitence.
This ancient sign speaks of thefragility of human life and
marks the penitence of thecommunity of faith.
In the name of Christ, you areinvited to observe a holy Lent
by self-examination, by prayerand fasting, by works of love
(02:03):
and by reading and meditating onthe Word of God, beginning with
Ash Wednesday.
One of the most commonscriptures read on Ash Wednesday
comes early on in the book ofGenesis.
It is the fallout from Adam andEve eating the fruit from the
(02:24):
tree, and God says to Adam youare dust and to dust you shall
return.
For our spiritual ancestors,the people of Jewish and other
Near Eastern cultures, wearingashes was a sign of mourning and
lamenting.
Ashes were usually associatedwith sackcloth, which was the
(02:50):
clothing worn to mourn the deathof a beloved or to lament a
personal or communal disaster.
Ashes are the only species weknow of who are capable of
contemplating their own death,yet so few of us do.
(03:11):
Ash Wednesday challenges us toreflect on our own death so that
we can truly embrace life.
The mark of ashes reminds usthat, while death is inevitable
for all mortal human beings, itdoes not have the final word as
(03:34):
we experience the promise of newlife found on Easter.
One of the traditionalscriptures that is read on Ash
Wednesday is Psalm 51.
This is a Psalm that encouragesus to move into repentance,
(04:00):
contemplation and a season ofreflection.
Not only do we not want tocontemplate our own deaths, we
don't even like contemplatingthe things that we've done wrong
, or the things that mightrequire forgiveness of us, or
the ways in which we have harmedone another, harmed ourselves,
(04:24):
harmed the creation.
And so this repentance, thispenitence, is a chance to do
just that, for us to trulyreflect on our lives, on our
behavior, on the words that wehave said and left unsaid, that
(04:49):
have caused hurt and harm.
And we do this not just forself-flagellation, but so that
we can truly embrace forgiveness, healing and wholeness.
So here are these words fromPsalm 51.
This is verses 1 through 17.
(05:16):
Have mercy on me, o God,according to your steadfast love
, according to your abundantmercy, blot out my
transgressions, wash methoroughly from my iniquity and
cleanse me from my sin, for Iknow my transgressions and my
sin is ever before me.
(05:38):
Against you, you alone, have Isinned and done what is evil in
your sight, so that you arejustified in your sentence and
blameless when you pass judgment.
Indeed, I was born guilty, asinner, when my mother conceived
me.
You desire truth in the inwardbeing.
(06:03):
Therefore, teach me wisdom inmy secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop and Ishall be clean.
Wash me and I shall be widerthan snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness.
Let the bones that you havecrushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins andblot out all my iniquities.
(06:29):
Create in me a clean heart, oGod, and put a new and right
spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from yourpresence and do not take your
Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of yoursalvation and sustain in me a
(06:51):
willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressorsyour ways and sinners will
return to you.
Deliver me from bloodshed, oGod, o God of my salvation, and
my tongue will sing aloud ofyour deliverance.
O Lord, open my lips and mymouth will declare your praise,
(07:18):
for you have no delight insacrifice.
If I were to give a burntoffering, you would not be
pleased.
The sacrifice acceptable to Godis a broken spirit, a broken
and contrite heart.
O God, you will not despiseBeloveds as we enter into Ash
(07:56):
Wednesday and indeed into thisseason of Lent which will see us
at the end of March, into PalmSunday and Monday, thursday and
Good Friday and the joy ofEaster morning.
I pray that for you, this willbe a season that meets you where
(08:19):
you need it.
There is so much brokenness inour world, there is so much
hurting and suffering and pain,and yet it is into this broken
and hurting world that Jesuscomes and tells us that we don't
have to go it alone and that,indeed, this pain and suffering,
(08:43):
this death, will not have thefinal word, because it has been
conquered through theresurrection of Jesus Christ and
we are all brought into newlife.
So, friends, I pray that thisseason, as you move through,
whatever it might bring for you,if you are bringing a new
(09:05):
practice, maybe a devotion or aprayer or a reading through your
Lenten season, maybe you'regiving something up this Lenten
season.
Whatever speaks to you thisseason for you to bring in
deeper meaning, I hope that theSpirit of God will speak to you
and will reach into your heart,bring you deeper into your
(09:29):
discipleship, speak you words ofcomfort and grace and peace and
mercy and, ultimately, that youwill feel reassured of God's
presence and God's love that iswith us and for us, without
measure and without end.
(09:52):
Thanks be to God, amen.
Friends, we will have worshipthis Lent at Brentwood
Presbyterian Church.
We're having an Ash Wednesdayservice on Wednesday, the 14th,
(10:14):
at 6.30 in our garden.
That will not be live streamed,so please do come in person.
We will be worshiping everySunday morning at 8 o'clock and
10.30.
The 10.30 service is livestreamed, so please do join us
for Lenten worship on Sundaymornings.
(10:35):
If you can come in person, comeat 8 or 10.30.
If you want to watch online,you can worship with us online
on our website or on ourFacebook page or on our YouTube
channel.
Our series for Lent is calledTrustful and we will be
(10:55):
discussing the ways in which wetrust God and which we trust
this life of faith to guide usand to lead us in paths that God
might have for us.
When there are so many otherthings that are pulling our
energy from us and so manydistractions in this world, it
(11:17):
really does take some level ofdiscipline to stay focused on
God and to walk this life offaith.
So I will be praying for all ofyou this Lenten season and I
look forward to worshiping withall of you as well.
You can join us for Palm Sundayworship on March 24th, and then
(11:39):
we will have Monday, thursdayat Brentwood Presbyterian Church
and Good Friday will be atPacific Palisades Presbyterian
Church, and then, of course, theglory of Easter morning on
March 31st.
God bless you all.
My friends, you've beenlistening to Resilient Faith.
(12:08):
The podcast Resilient Faith issponsored by Brentwood
Presbyterian Church in West LosAngeles.
You can follow our church andthis podcast on Facebook at
BPCTeam and Instagram at BPCunderscore USA.
Make sure to subscribe on yourfavorite podcast platform and
(12:32):
thanks for listening.
Welcome to Resilient Faith, the podcast.
Opportunities to find deeperresilience within ourselves can
come when life seems mostchallenging.
This podcast is to help youdevelop that resilience and
connection with God.
Being resilient and havingpower starts with faith.
(00:32):
Welcome, friends, to anotherepisode of the Resilient Faith
podcast.
My name is Pastor Laura Eastand I'm the Associate Pastor at
Brentwood Presbyterian Church.
(00:52):
We are so glad that you arewith us today as we mark the
beginning of the season of Lent.
Ash Wednesday marks thebeginning of this season.
Lent is a time to prepare forthe celebration of Easter and to
renew our life in the mysteryof the saving death and
(01:15):
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We begin this holy season byacknowledging our need for the
mercy, forgiveness and hope ofeverlasting life proclaimed in
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We begin our journey to Easterwith the sign of ashes, a
(01:37):
biblical symbol of mourning andpenitence.
This ancient sign speaks of thefragility of human life and
marks the penitence of thecommunity of faith.
In the name of Christ, you areinvited to observe a holy Lent
by self-examination, by prayerand fasting, by works of love
(02:03):
and by reading and meditating onthe Word of God, beginning with
Ash Wednesday.
One of the most commonscriptures read on Ash Wednesday
comes early on in the book ofGenesis.
It is the fallout from Adam andEve eating the fruit from the
(02:24):
tree, and God says to Adam youare dust and to dust you shall
return.
For our spiritual ancestors,the people of Jewish and other
Near Eastern cultures, wearingashes was a sign of mourning and
lamenting.
Ashes were usually associatedwith sackcloth, which was the
(02:50):
clothing worn to mourn the deathof a beloved or to lament a
personal or communal disaster.
Ashes are the only species weknow of who are capable of
contemplating their own death,yet so few of us do.
(03:11):
Ash Wednesday challenges us toreflect on our own death so that
we can truly embrace life.
The mark of ashes reminds usthat, while death is inevitable
for all mortal human beings, itdoes not have the final word as
(03:34):
we experience the promise of newlife found on Easter.
One of the traditionalscriptures that is read on Ash
Wednesday is Psalm 51.
This is a Psalm that encouragesus to move into repentance,
(04:00):
contemplation and a season ofreflection.
Not only do we not want tocontemplate our own deaths, we
don't even like contemplatingthe things that we've done wrong
, or the things that mightrequire forgiveness of us, or
the ways in which we have harmedone another, harmed ourselves,
(04:24):
harmed the creation.
And so this repentance, thispenitence, is a chance to do
just that, for us to trulyreflect on our lives, on our
behavior, on the words that wehave said and left unsaid, that
(04:49):
have caused hurt and harm.
And we do this not just forself-flagellation, but so that
we can truly embrace forgiveness, healing and wholeness.
So here are these words fromPsalm 51.
This is verses 1 through 17.
(05:16):
Have mercy on me, o God,according to your steadfast love
, according to your abundantmercy, blot out my
transgressions, wash methoroughly from my iniquity and
cleanse me from my sin, for Iknow my transgressions and my
sin is ever before me.
(05:38):
Against you, you alone, have Isinned and done what is evil in
your sight, so that you arejustified in your sentence and
blameless when you pass judgment.
Indeed, I was born guilty, asinner, when my mother conceived
me.
You desire truth in the inwardbeing.
(06:03):
Therefore, teach me wisdom inmy secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop and Ishall be clean.
Wash me and I shall be widerthan snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness.
Let the bones that you havecrushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins andblot out all my iniquities.
(06:29):
Create in me a clean heart, oGod, and put a new and right
spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from yourpresence and do not take your
Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of yoursalvation and sustain in me a
(06:51):
willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressorsyour ways and sinners will
return to you.
Deliver me from bloodshed, oGod, o God of my salvation, and
my tongue will sing aloud ofyour deliverance.
O Lord, open my lips and mymouth will declare your praise,
(07:18):
for you have no delight insacrifice.
If I were to give a burntoffering, you would not be
pleased.
The sacrifice acceptable to Godis a broken spirit, a broken
and contrite heart.
O God, you will not despiseBeloveds as we enter into Ash
(07:56):
Wednesday and indeed into thisseason of Lent which will see us
at the end of March, into PalmSunday and Monday, thursday and
Good Friday and the joy ofEaster morning.
I pray that for you, this willbe a season that meets you where
(08:19):
you need it.
There is so much brokenness inour world, there is so much
hurting and suffering and pain,and yet it is into this broken
and hurting world that Jesuscomes and tells us that we don't
have to go it alone and that,indeed, this pain and suffering,
(08:43):
this death, will not have thefinal word, because it has been
conquered through theresurrection of Jesus Christ and
we are all brought into newlife.
So, friends, I pray that thisseason, as you move through,
whatever it might bring for you,if you are bringing a new
(09:05):
practice, maybe a devotion or aprayer or a reading through your
Lenten season, maybe you'regiving something up this Lenten
season.
Whatever speaks to you thisseason for you to bring in
deeper meaning, I hope that theSpirit of God will speak to you
and will reach into your heart,bring you deeper into your
(09:29):
discipleship, speak you words ofcomfort and grace and peace and
mercy and, ultimately, that youwill feel reassured of God's
presence and God's love that iswith us and for us, without
measure and without end.
(09:52):
Thanks be to God, amen.
Friends, we will have worshipthis Lent at Brentwood
Presbyterian Church.
We're having an Ash Wednesdayservice on Wednesday, the 14th,
(10:14):
at 6.30 in our garden.
That will not be live streamed,so please do come in person.
We will be worshiping everySunday morning at 8 o'clock and
10.30.
The 10.30 service is livestreamed, so please do join us
for Lenten worship on Sundaymornings.
(10:35):
If you can come in person, comeat 8 or 10.30.
If you want to watch online,you can worship with us online
on our website or on ourFacebook page or on our YouTube
channel.
Our series for Lent is calledTrustful and we will be
(10:55):
discussing the ways in which wetrust God and which we trust
this life of faith to guide usand to lead us in paths that God
might have for us.
When there are so many otherthings that are pulling our
energy from us and so manydistractions in this world, it
(11:17):
really does take some level ofdiscipline to stay focused on
God and to walk this life offaith.
So I will be praying for all ofyou this Lenten season and I
look forward to worshiping withall of you as well.
You can join us for Palm Sundayworship on March 24th, and then
(11:39):
we will have Monday, thursdayat Brentwood Presbyterian Church
and Good Friday will be atPacific Palisades Presbyterian
Church, and then, of course, theglory of Easter morning on
March 31st.
God bless you all.
My friends, you've beenlistening to Resilient Faith.
(12:08):
The podcast Resilient Faith issponsored by Brentwood
Presbyterian Church in West LosAngeles.
You can follow our church andthis podcast on Facebook at
BPCTeam and Instagram at BPCunderscore USA.
Make sure to subscribe on yourfavorite podcast platform and
(12:32):
thanks for listening.
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