I wonder what comes to your mind when you hear the term, a “clean heart”. One thing that comes to mine is a story about the swimmer, Florence Chadwick, who on July 4, 1952, attempted to swim the channel that lies between Catalina Island and the California coast. Florence was an accomplished swimmer who had already swum across the English Channel twice. But on this foggy morning, as she moved through the chilly waters, she became discouraged. Even though her coach was encouraging her to continue, after more than fifteen hours, she asked to be taken from the water. Soon afterward, she learned that she was only one mile from the shore. She said, “…if I could have seen the land, I might have made it.”
Perhaps this is like a prayer for a clean heart. It seems so out of reach. In our conflicted and contentious world, it is hard to imagine that our hearts could be clean. In Psalm 51, the singer moves through a lyrical confession of sin, leading to a prayer that they might achieve a clean heart. The ascription of the psalm suggests that it arises from a time in David’s live when he had sinned egregiously. Perhaps the ascription is accurate, though few believe it was part of the original text. What is more clear is that this psalm takes us to the center of our moral selves, inviting us to say what is deeply true in the most essential parts of our being.
The experience of confession of sin in the history of the Church, and indeed, in human history, is varied. Many of us remember vivid televised confessions of politicians and clergy persons that were deeply dramatic, and which were often met with considerable cynicism. On the other end of the spectrum is the attitude expressed by one of John Wayne’s characters, Captain Nathan Brittles, in the movie, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.” Wayne’s character says, “Never apologizer, mister; it’s a sign of weakness.” But surely somewhere between self-aggrandizing displays of contrition, on the one hand, and stubborn refusals to own responsibility, on the other, lies a third path. Could it be that honest, brave, faithful owning of deeply true reality is our best path to a clean heart?
We’ll discuss this in worship on Sunday at St. Mark’s. The sermon arises from Psalm 51: 1-14, and Mark 1: 1-5. The sermon is titled, “The Grace of a Clean Heart”. Ashley Ruckman will offer a solo. The Chancel Choir, directed by Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs, will lead us musically. We’ll have a moment for children, sing and pray together.
If you are new to St. Mark’s, or you connect with us consistently, know we would be honored for you to join with us on Sunday. The service begins at 10:30 in the sanctuary. To view online, visit www.smumc.church and click on the Livestream banner.