I know Spring has come because I have been sneezing non-stop for 2 weeks and my outdoor furniture has a beautiful yellow patina to it from all the pollen. Spring and Spring cleaning go hand in hand. As the world around us comes back to life; as seeds push up through the ground cover into beautiful foliage—so too we work to beautify our patches of dirt. Maybe you have already wiped away the cobwebs, dusted out the garage in order to make ready for what is coming with the warmer weather.
Spring has an energy about it; a subtle hum that reverberates in the background. It grows and builds. The glorious days; the excitement of school wrapping up for the summer; all the activity and movement; do you hear the hum?
Spring cleaning is such an important part of this hum. It is the yearly tasks that bring the freshness of new life. With some elbow grease and effort, your house will be ready for the new season just like the world around you. Spring is about taking out the trash. But it is far more about the refreshed look of new pine straw on the flower beds and power-washed sidewalks and patios.
This is what we do in worship as well. Each week we gather and make our confession and hear the hope-filled words of forgiveness. What spring cleaning does for your home, confession and forgiveness does for your soul. Fresh. Clean. Renewed. Alive.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Do you hear the dusting off of your soul in these words?
We confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
Can you see the clean lines left behind as the Lord’s power washes away the grit and grime of sin and brokenness?
This is your hope and your delight. The Lord Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, refreshes and renews your soul through confession and forgiveness. He takes out your trash—and his trash bin never overflows. His rag that washes you clean never gets too dirty. It never wears out. He never runs out of elbow grease while washing away your sin.
