When I Survey the Wondrous CrossIn all honesty, I cannot read or sing this hymn without weeping in gratitude over what Christ did for me. The price He paid on the cross for me surely demands my soul, my life, my all.
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.
Friday, April 06, 2012
Good Friday
This is one of Isaac Watts' many hymns. This one was published in 1707 in preparation for a communion service.
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11 comments:
This is one of my favorite hymns, and I like it best when sung to the tune "Hamburg," and I play it on my pipes.
I know that there are other tunes (at least one) for that hymn, but in my mind Hamburg is the only one. All others are counterfeits. Okay, not like a counterfeit gospel or a counterfeit doctrine, but just "not right".
"In all honesty, I cannot read or sing this hymn without weeping in gratitude over what Christ did for me. The price He paid on the cross for me surely demands my soul, my life, my all."
This sentiment mirrors that of Mel Gibson in explaining his reasoning for the film, "The Passion of the Christ". I don't know what you think of the film yourself, but the intention for making it was to reflect this sentiment, to demonstrate just what Jesus endured willingly on our behalf. The sad part is just how poorly I show my gratitude despite my desire otherwise.
What I find interesting is how being reminded up close and personal about what Christ endured on the cross on my behalf (and The Passion of Christ could not capture that) makes me want to be a better reflection of Christ.
I agree with you. Our assembly rarely does Hamburg. The tune we use is Waly Waly (the Water Is Wide), which I also play.
I didn't like "The Passion of Christ" because it reeked of Roman Catholicism, especially with the extra-biblical (as well as unbiblical) stuff.
The Passion of Christ captured some stuff that Scripture tells us that too often Christians forget. It was not a "clean" event as depicted in so much art, a nice white guy hanging pristine on a cross with a little blood on His brow. I always thought that if a movie actually displayed what the Bible portrays about the Crucifixion, it would be rated NC17 at a minimum, given the amount of violence, blood, and even nudity. (All indications are that Jesus, as part of His humiliation, was naked up there.)
On the other hand, according to Scripture there is no record of Jesus ever crying out in any of the brutal torture from whipping to nails. The only time it says He "cried out" was when the Father forsook Him. Capturing that agony on film is impossible.
Never heard the Waly Waly version. (Found it on You Tube.) I suppose it's okay, but I stick with my Hamburg version. :)
On topic of Good Friday, I heard something yesterday that shocked me a little. We had a group of UU's on our site and I overheard one woman tell anouthr that she was going to gelebrate Good Friday by attending a rally in support of Planned Parenthood.
Okay, that's completely baffling. "To celebrate the death of Christ, I'm going to celebrate the murder of babies!"
I have often wondered why the most painful part of Christ's torture and execution is always glossed over. I cannot recall a single teaching about the pain He suffered on the cross. Yes, the torture he endured prior to the cross was horrible and inhumane. But I always have this image in my head of Christ receiving ALL his blows without so much as a whimper, because He knew the true pain was to come. I cannot even begin to imagine what it felt like to have the Father turn His back on the Son. That pain must have been immeasurable, and I weep now even thinking about it. We may sometimes FEEL like God is not with us, but that is merely a feeling. He is the only human to know the true pain of God turning His back, and I shudder to think of that pain, that loss... that darkness. That is the punishment Christ received on my behalf. The torture ahead of time was mere scratches compared to that. That pain is what brings me to my knees at the cross. And no, no movie could ever capture that pain, because we have nothing to compare it to.
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