Not the day for lengthy ponderous thoughts… just a day to wonder at the depth of God’s love – demonstrated and proved so dramatically at Calvary. Why not read the biblical accounts of the crucifixion, and then perhaps add to them the words of this once greatly loved but now not so often sung hymn, When I survey the Wonderous Cross (Isaac Watts, 1707)
- When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride. - Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood. - See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown? - Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Pause a while… see from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down…
God bless you and yours this Easter season…
Some the greatest doctrine and theologically sound music and hymns were written for use at Easter Services, they have been used reverently and with great effect for years but you would never know it when hearing what passes for Easter church music and “songs” these days!
The ABC’s Good Friday morning program featured some of the greats and admired how poetically beautiful, transcendent and relevant to our Faith these are in contrast the some of the later material. I guess that it is hard to capture the original emotional and haunting melodies associated with the crucifixion with a guitar.
Somehow an otherwise great service let down by the music always leaves me with a feeling that we have lost something precious.
That’s still a greatly loved hymn at our ACF, and we’ve sung it quite often during Lent, and again this morning (with pipe organ accompaniment thanks to smallchurchmusic.com)