LENT V
March 17, 2024
“Love So Amazing, So Divine”
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.Text: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748; Tune: Lowell Mason, 1792-1872
The rich heritage of music with which we are blessed is often the source of inspiration, comfort, joy, and even instruction. Our Lutheran hymnals and worship books have included some of the earliest chants and hymns of Christianity all the way to contemporary subjects and instrumentation. The themes and melodies of the worldwide church are expressed, as we join with our brothers and sisters in the faith to praise God through a rich variety of words and musical accompaniment. I’ve always been grateful that a person (like me) doesn’t have to be much of a singer or an accomplished instrumentalist to benefit from the wide array of music available to us. Congregational singing gives many of us the opportunity to sing along with whatever ability we have, and have the warm feeling of sharing in the beauty of song.
Somehow, the combination of words and music creates a memory in our brains, and as we sing and hear that Jesus is our friend, who is faithful and will share our burdens, it becomes imprinted in our hearts as well. So it is with “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” quoted above, which is heartbreakingly beautiful. It’s remarkable that the limited words of human language could be written with such eloquence that they speak for all humanity. As we read these words, we see that the composer makes this very personal as he uses “I,” in the first two stanzas, and then in the fourth, he uses “mine” and “my” (soul, life, all). And yet, as we sing or listen to this, we are brought together, as individuals or a community, humbled at the sacrifice, the love so freely given, we find ourselves overwhelmed at such a gift.
In another week, we’ll find our journey through Lent taking us to Jerusalem, from a parade of joy and celebration to torture and death on a lonely hill, and we’ll hear words and music expressing the events and the emotions. It’s an exceptional opportunity to be quiet, to listen, perhaps to sing, as we open our hearts and minds to the love and sacrifice of Christ our Lord.
Listening, reflecting, grateful,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers