But I, by Your great mercy, will come into Your house; in reverence will I bow down toward Your holy temple. (Psalm 5:7)

Every Lent I look forward to worship on Wednesdays. Midweek services help me focus on Christ and His Lenten journey in the midst of business and busy-ness. An hour’s worship half-way through the week is an important interruption: a spiritual boost.

However, I notice by the third week, I am no longer so keen about Wednesday worship. It becomes inconvenient; if I work late, I get to church hungry and tired. If I go home first, I have to rush. Yes, the special service throws off my whole week.

While making a mad dash from work to church one Wednesday, I realized how skewed my perspective had become. Less than half-way through the 40 days of Lent, I was already whining about one extra hour I spend at church. Clearly it was time for change. In the silent sanctuary, I confessed my hurried impatience and half-hearted intentions. I released my world weariness, seeking God’s quiet peace. As darkness curtained the windows, I reflected on the cross and Christ’s sacrifice for my sin.

Waiting for the first chords of the organ, I saw my family of faith around me, a smaller, more intimate group, in work clothes, uniforms. I welcomed their quiet camaraderie. The deeply reflective hymns mirrored my feelings. The special liturgy awakened my spirit. Worship on Wednesdays is like coming home, reminding me of the values I learned in childhood, when church was not optional. Midweek services give me the opportunity to follow Jesus out of commitment, not convenience.

Prayer: I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Amen

Response: Give an extra hour back to God this week.

(Devotions from "Cross of Ashes" by Christine Weerts, a Lenten devotional provided by Lutheran Hour Ministries. Copyright 2005, Int'l LLL. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time emailing of this link to a friend.)

Today's Bible Readings: Leviticus 14    Mark 8:1-21

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