Ash Wednesday Reflection

Reading – Psalm 51:10–12 (NIV)

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

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Reflection

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent—a season of reflection, repentance, and renewal. In many Christian traditions, ashes are placed on the forehead as a sign of humility and mortality. In the Presbyterian Church, we may not use ashes in worship, but we still enter into the same spirit of the day: a quiet honesty before God.

Psalm 51 gives us language for that honesty. It is not a psalm of despair but of deep trust. David comes before God not with excuses, not with self-justification, but with a heart laid bare. And in that vulnerability, he discovers something astonishing: God meets him with mercy.

Lent is not about self-punishment. It is not about proving our worth. It is about clearing away the noise so we can hear God again. It is about recognising the places where we have drifted, and gently turning back. It is about remembering that we are human—finite, fragile, imperfect—and yet deeply loved.

At Bellshill Central, we know that faith is lived in the real world: in the pressures of work, the demands of family life, the joys and challenges of community, the quiet moments when we wonder if we’re doing enough. Ash Wednesday invites us to bring all of that to God without pretending.

“Create in me a pure heart… renew a steadfast spirit…”
These are not words of defeat. They are words of hope.
They remind us that God is not finished with us.
They remind us that renewal is possible.
They remind us that grace is always the first word and the last.

As we begin this Lenten journey, may we walk it not with heaviness but with expectation—trusting that God will shape us, guide us, and restore us.

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Prayer

Holy and gracious God,
as we enter this season of Lent,
we come to you with open hearts.
We confess the ways we fall short—
in our actions, our words, and our silence.
Yet we trust in your mercy,
your patience, and your unfailing love.

Create in us clean hearts,
renew our spirits,
and draw us closer to you.

In our church family here at Bellshill Central,
strengthen our fellowship,
deepen our compassion,
and guide us in the way of Christ.

May this season be one of growth,
of honesty,
and of renewed hope.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.