For some, the season of Lent is all about self-examination and confession. I understand why, for that is indeed a central part of Christian discipleship, but if we are not careful it can degenerate into something immensely maudlin and negative. I’m reminded of that wonderful scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail when King Arthur and his entourage fall in their knees before God, begging for mercy and pardon. ‘Oh, don’t grovel!’ exclaims God angrily. ‘If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s people groveling.’ I just love that, for I believe it to contain a vital truth. Yes, God wants us to recognise and acknowledge our shortcomings, and to be truly sorry for whatever is wrong in our lives, but above all he wants us to receive his forgiveness, and to know ourselves to be loved. That – as the following prayer, taken from Prayers for All Seasons 2 reminds us – is the incredible truth of Lent; the incredible truth of the gospel: ours is a God who sees and loves us as we are!
Thanksgiving for God’s great mercy
A God who sees and loves us as we are
Gracious God,
we thank you that you are a God
who sees not the outside but the inside,
a God who is not taken in by external appearances
but who looks into the inner depths of our heart and soul.
We thank you for the reassurance which that brings,
the confidence we can have
that, though we repeatedly disobey you,
consistently breaking your commandments
and failing to live as you have called us to,
still you know that we earnestly desire to be your people,
that we long to be better disciples of Christ.
For your unfailing mercy,
receive our thanks.
We thank you that you see not merely the end product
but the initial intention,
not just the final results but the desire that precedes it.
But we recognise also the challenge that truth brings,
for we know that we can never deceive you with outward show.
Though our lives may appear blameless,
our faith strong,
our works good
and our words right,
you and you alone know the reality in our hearts,
the truth beneath.
For your unfailing mercy,
receive our thanks.
Gracious God,
help us not just to lift up our hands but our hearts,
not just our voices but our souls.
Fill us with the power of your Spirit
and the love of Christ,
so that we may become more like the people you would have us be.
For your unfailing mercy,
receive our thanks.
Amen.