Bishop Hutterer: Becoming Easter People
“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.”
Photo by wallace Henry on Unsplash
Dear Siblings in Christ,
On this Ash Wednesday, as we receive the mark of the cross in ashes, we are reminded of our shared humanity—our frailty and our need for God’s mercy. Some of us are entering this Lenten season with a sense of uncertainty in a chaotic world. All of us enter this time with the familiar words of Psalm 51 echoing in our hearts: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. This prayer is not only an individual plea but a communal one, acknowledging our brokenness and need for re-shaping of our hearts and spirits.
Lent has long been a season of repentance, reflection, and renewal. In the early church, it was a time of preparation for those soon to be baptized into the life of Christ. Today, it remains a time for all of us to reflect on our identity as God's people—who we are and what we believe. In these forty days, we are invited to return to the promises of our baptism, to be formed again in the way of Jesus.
This journey allows us to confess where we have not loved God and our neighbors and ask how God is inviting us to find the courage and resilience to follow the way of the cross. We are asking the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and spirits. As we pray during the Ash Wednesday service:
Merciful God, accompany our journey through these forty days. Renew us in the gift of baptism, that we may provide for those who are poor, pray for those in need, fast from self-indulgence, and above all that we may find our treasure in the life of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
We are called not only to personal reflection but also to communal action—to live as people of grace, serving our neighbors and embodying Christ’s love. This Lent, let us consider how our thoughts, words, and deeds shape the world around us. In a time when political and social divisions run deep, may we be mindful of how we use our voices—not to cut each other down, but to build up, to witness to the hope we share in Christ. Let us be bold and courageous in speaking for justice, compassionate in amplifying voices often unheard, and steadfast in proclaiming God’s grace through actions that heal and reconcile.
We are called to be Easter people—those who, even in the wilderness, trust in the promise of new life. In these forty days, may we embrace both the solemnity and the hope of the season, knowing that God is continually at work in us, renewing our hearts and making all things new.
Blessings to you in this holy season.
The Rev. Deborah K. Hutterer
Bishop
Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA
