March 11/First Tuesday of Lent Near is the LORD to the brokenhearted, and the crushed in spirit he saves. ~ Ps 34.19 The days march along in their regular rhythm, one after another. Then — an unexpected death, a sudden job loss, a betrayal, and we are brought to our knees, shocked and sorrowing. The Hebrew conveys it even more…
Category: Songs for Lent
Song 5: The Three Rs
March 10/First Monday of Lent The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true…
Song 4: A User Guide
March 8/Saturday after Ash Wednesday Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you; save your servant who trusts in you.be gracious to me, O LORD, for to you do I cry all day long.Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift…
Song 3: Giving It Up
March 7/Friday after Ash Wednesday For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God,you will not despise. ~ Ps 51. 18-19 When I was a little girl, the looming arrival of Lent brought on…
March 6/Thursday after Ash Wednesday
March 6/Thursday after Ash Wednesday Blessed are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers;but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. ~ Ps 1.1-2 “Are we there yet?” Before the advent of personal…
Song 1: Rules of Engagement
March 5/Ash Wednesday Have mercy on me, God, according to your steadfast love;according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. ~ Ps 51.3 We arrive on the threshold of Lent, this Ash Wednesday 2025, perhaps stunned and a bit battle-weary. With daily political disruptions and system shocks and angry critiques swirling madly around us, we need a pause, a…
Coming Soon: Songs for Lent
Ash Wednesday, which inaugurates the penitential season of Lent, will be on March 5 this year. I will again offer a daily reflection on the psalm verses from the lectionary, accompanied by music, imagery, and a prayer as well as a link to the readings. For readers who are newer to the reflections, a word about why I have chosen…
Song 40: A Gracious Plenty
March 30/Holy SaturdayEaster Vigil You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills, By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches. From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you…
Song 39: Broken
March 29/Good Friday I am forgotten like the unremembered dead; I am like a dish that is broken. ~ Ps 31.12-13 Years ago I had the opportunity to help create a mosaic, and participating in that process intensified my fascination with the form. The process of taking irregular and broken pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic and creating a…
Song 38: Debt Service
March 28/Holy Thursday What shall I return to the LORD for all his benefits to me?The cup of salvation I will raise, and on the name of the Lord will I call. ~ Ps 116.12-13 At the day’s end, I spend a few moments reflecting on the gifts that God has given me. They can be large — decent health,…