Tapestry March 2020

A Worship Magazine

Easley Presbyterian Church

Easley, SC

March 2020

Vol. 6 Issue 2

A common thread that joins us together with Christ and with each other.

The Season of Lent Lent is a time of anticipating the passion of Jesus Christ. It consists of forty days before Easter (beginning on Ash Wednesday, but not counting Sundays — which are celebrations of the resurrection and considered a “little” Easter.) The number forty symbolizes a time of testing — Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, the Israelites spent forty years in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land, and Moses spent forty days on the mountain before receiving the Ten Commandments. Lent is a time of reflection, repentance, preparation, and confession. All of the preparation of Lent is climaxed in Holy week.

Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. All churches that have a continuous history extending before AD 1500 observe Lent. The ancient church that wrote, collected, canonized, and propagated the New Testament also observed Lent, believing it to be a commandment from the apostles.

Because Sunday is the day of the Resurrection, we skip over Sundays when we calculate the length of Lent. Therefore, in the Western Church, Lent always begins on Ash Wednesday, the seventh Wednesday before Easter.

“Christ in the Wilderness” Ivan Kramskoy, 1872

The Colors of Lent: Purple, Red, and Black The color purple is a royal color, representing the Kingship of Christ. It is also a color of repentance and a symbol of the Passion of Christ.

Red represents the atoning blood of Christ. It is sometimes used during Holy Week, or on Maundy Thursday.

Black represents death and mourning. It is used for Good Friday. If black is not used, then the sanctuary should be bare and no color used.

Symbols and Themes of Lent The major symbol of Lent is the cross. Images of the wilderness or Christian discipline are also appropriate.

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Sunday, March 1 Help My Unbelief Mark 9:14-29

When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. When the whole crowd saw him, they were immediately overcome with awe, and they ran forward to greet him. He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so.” He answered them, “You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You spirit that keeps this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!” After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he was able to stand. When he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “This kind can come out only through prayer.”

Hymn Meditation: “Immortal Invisible, God Only Wise” click on title to listen

“Now to the King eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever, amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17 In our enjoyment of a personal relationship with God, we sometimes lose sight of the awe and reverence that should also be part of our worship of Him. Often we tend to forget the supreme holiness and greatness of who God really is. In our hymnology and theology we can carelessly treat our Lord as merely “the friend upstairs.”

The author of the fine worshipful text of “immortal, Invisible” was Walter Chalmers Smith, a pastor and an important leader of the Free churches of Scotland. He had various volumes of his poetry published, including several hymnals. “Immortal, Invisible” was first published in Smith’s 1867 hymnal, Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life.

I have heard this hymn described as “absent praise of a distant God.” I would beg to differ. Post-modern religion has sometimes created an over-personalized God or transformed Him into a dangerously casual Being. God is Almighty and Everlasting, All-powerful and Holy.

He reigns above the heavens and His splendor is beyond our comprehension. We should never loose sight of the unapproachable glory of God. When we can worship the Immortal, Invisible God with awe and reverence, then we can truly begin to understand what it means to

3 Immortal, invisible, God only wise, in light inaccessible hid from our eyes, most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might; thy justice like mountains high soaring above thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all, life thou givest, to both great and small; in all life thou livest, the true life of all; we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree, and wither and perish, but naught changeth thee.

that this same God calls us to be his children — the most personal connection imaginable — personal, but never casual. Immortal, Invisible, Merciful, and Good. Praise be to God.

Anthem Meditation: “Arise, My Soul, Arise”

click on title to listen

I would that my heart was ever strong, O Lord, my faith always firm and unwavering, my thought unclouded, my devotion sincere, my vision clear.

I would that I dwelt always in that state wherin my belief, my hope, my confidence, were rooted and Thou reignest in glory; thou dwellest in light; certain. thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight; I would that I could remain in those seasons when all laud we would render: O help us to see assailing storms seem only to make faith stronger, 'tis only the splendor of light hideth thee. proving your presence, your provenance.

But it is not always so. There are those other moments, as now, When I cannot sense you near, cannot hear you, touch you — times when fear or depression or frustration overwhelm, and I find no help or consolation, when the seawalls of my faith Arise, my soul, arise, shake off thy guilty fears: crumble and give way to inrushing tides of doubt. The bleeding Sacrifice in my behalf appears: Before the Throne, my Surety stands.

Have I believed in vain? Are your words true?

My name is written on His hands.

They seem so distant to me now. Is your presence Five bleeding wounds He bears, received on Calvary, real? I cannot feel it. Do you love me? Or are you indifferent to my grief? Under weight of such dark- They pour effectual prayers, they strongly plead for me: “Forgive him, O forgive” they cry ness, how can I remember the sunlight of your love “Nor let that ransomed sinner die.” as anything more than a child’s dream? Under My God is reconciled, His pardoning voice I hear; weight of such doubt, how can I still proclaim to He owns me for His child, I can no longer fear; my own heart with certainty that you are real?

With confidence I now draw nigh, And so, Jesus, I do now the only thing I know to And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry. do. Here I drag my heavy heart again into this Arise, my soul, arise! cleared —Charles Wesley and desolate space, to see if you will meet me in my place of doubt, even as you mercifully met your servant Thomas in his uncertainty, even as you once acted in compassionate response to a fearful father who desperately pleaded: I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief!

For where else but to you might I flee with my doubts?

You alone have the words of eternal life.

Now O Lord may the end result of my doubt be a more precious and hard-wrung faith, resilient as the Methuselah tree, and a hope more present and evergreen and a more tender and active mercy extended to others in their own seasons of doubting.

So help me, my Lord and my God. I have no consolation but you. Meet me now in this eclipse-shadow of my doubt.

Lead me again into your light. Amen.

— Douglas Kaine McKelvey, “Every Moment Holy”

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Hymn Meditation: “We Come to You For Healing, Lord” A Liturgy for the Feeling of Infirmities We are not made for mortality but for immortality; Our souls are ever in their prime, And so the faltering of our physical bodies repeatedly takes us by surprise.

(Click title to listen)

We come to you for healing, Lord, Of body, mind, and soul, And pray that by your Spirit’s touch We may again be whole.

As once you walked through ancient streets And reached toward those in pain, We know you come among us still With power to heal again.

The aches, the frailties, the injuries, the imposition of vexing diseases and worsening condition are unwel- You touch us through physicians’ skills, come evidences of our long exile from the Garden. Through nurses’ gifts of care, Even so, may the inescapable decline of our bodies And through the love of faithful friends Who lift our lives in prayer. here not be wasted. May it do its tutoring work, inThrough nights of pain and wakefulness, clining our hearts and souls ever more vigorously Through days when strength runs low, toward your coming kingdom, O God. Grant us your gift of patience, Lord, While we rightly pray for healing and relief, and Your calming peace to know. sometimes receive the respite of such blessings, give us also patience for the enduring of whatever hard- We come to you, O loving Lord, In our distress and pain, ships our journey entail.

In trust that through our Nights and days For what we endure here, in the deterioration of Your grace will heal, sustain. bone and joint, blood and marrow, muscle and liga—Annie S. Hawks, 1872 ment, vitality and mobility and clarity, is but our own small share of the malady common to a frayed creation yet yearning for a promised restoration.

Give us humility therefor in our infirmities, to ask and to receive, day by day, your mercies as our needs require.

Where our dependence on others increases, let us receive their service as a grace rather than a shame.

Let us trace in the hands of our caregivers the greater movement of your own hands, for you ever meet us and uphold us in our weakness.

And in those moments when our bodies betray our trust, work in us by our own hard experience a more active and Christlike compassion toe the suffering of others.

Give us also a sense of humor to wink at our weaknesses now, knowing that they are but the evidences of a perishable body that will at your beckoning rise again imperishable, and that the greater joke is the one played upon death.

By the inevitable dwindling of our strength, may the mettle of our true hope at last be proved, rising as the memory of a song stirring deep in the bones, A martial melody of which our difficulties are but the

5 approaching drumbeat, reminding us that this flesh and blood are soon the be transformed, redeemed, remade.

The infirmities we incur today are but the expected buffetings of a battle at which victorious end our birthright will be forever reclaimed.

So may the decline of our bodies incline our hearts and souls ever more vigorously toward our coming kingdom, O God. Ever more vigorously.

Amen.

Hymn Meditation: “What Wondrous Love Is This” (click title to listen)

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul, What wondrous love is this, O my soul!

What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul, To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul, What wondrous love is this, O my soul!

What wondrous love is this, that caused the lord of life To lay aside his crown for my soul, for my soul, To lay aside his crown for my soul.

'Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing, 15:13 To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.

This beloved hymn, with its plaintive To God and to the Lamb who is the great I AM, modal sound, is one of the best known of While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing, While millions join the theme I will sing. our authentic American folk hymns. Like all true folk music, the origins of this text and And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on, I'll sing on, when from death I'm free, I'll sing on. music remain unknown. It is simply the And And when from death I'm free I'll sing and joyful be, product of devout people who, when And through eternity I'll sing on, I'll sing on, reflecting seriously on the sacrificial gift of And through eternity I'll sing on.

— USA Folk Hymn God’s Son, respond spontaneously with amazed adoration for the “wondrous love.”

One typical folk hymn characteristic found in these words is the repetition of key phrases such as “o my soul” and I’ll sing on.” Since folk music is generally learned aurally without the assistance of the printed page or music notation, such repetition was an effective learning tool. The hymn fist appeared in 1835 in a c ollecti on ti tled Wi lliam Walker’s Southern Harmony.

These simply stated words with their appealing music h a v e s i nc e ministered to people everywhere, extolling the profound truth of Christ’s love for each of us. Reflect again on the wondrous love of Christ in your behalf.

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Sunday, March 8

Who Is the Greatest?

Mark 8:22-30

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

“Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet” — Ford Madox Brown

Hymn Meditation: “Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim”

"Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim" was originally written not as a hymn of praise but as encouragement for believers facing persecution. The hymn first appeared in 1744 in a small collection of thirty-three hymns titled Hymns for Times of Trouble and Persecution and was captioned "To be sung in tumult." That year was a time of great tension and confusion in England and a time of bitter persecution for those new people called "Methodists," who were strangely accused of being Roman Catholics in disguise, working undercover for the pope. Mobs broke up Methodist services and often hurled bricks, cabbages, and eggs at the preachers. Undaunted, the Wesleys maintained a noble spirit, producing the 1744 collection to buoy the spirit of their followers.

Psalm 93:1-4 and Revelation 7:11-12 are the biblical basis for this hymn.

Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim, The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is and publish abroad his wonderful name; robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the name all-victorious of Jesus extol, the world; it shall never be moved; your throne is eshis kingdom is glorious and rules over all. tablished from of old; you are from everlasting. 3 The God ruleth on high, almighty to save, floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted and still he is nigh, his presence we have; up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. More the great congregation his triumph shall sing, majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more ascribing salvation to Jesus, our King. majestic than the waves[a] of the sea, majestic on "Salvation to God, who sits on the throne!" high is the LORD! Let all cry aloud and honor the Son; And all the angels stood around the throne and the praises of Jesus the angels proclaim, around the elders and the four living creatures, and fall down on their faces and worship the Lamb. they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and Then let us adore and give him his right, wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and all glory and power, all wisdom and might; all honor and blessing with angels above, might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” and thanks never ceasing and infinite love.

— Charles Wesley

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Anthem Meditation: “Father, Forgive Us” click on title to listen Love One Another

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is[a]born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested [b]in us, that God has sent His [c]only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

“Worth of a Soul” — Liz Lemon Swindle 1 John 4:7-14 In Christ, we are given a new name — Beloved, loved of God. Christ called us to love one another, but he also came to show us how to love one another.

Several years ago, I heard a sermon that has really stuck with me. The idea was not new, but it was eloquently expressed: “Hurt people hurt other people; but loved people love other people.” When we are hurt it is very easy and natural to respond with hurt — to lash out at others and hurt them as well (even when they are not the ones who have caused us hurt) — the feeling fills us up and flows out of us.

Unfortunately, this truth is found not only in the workplace and schools and communities, but in our churches as well. We will not name names, although we all probably could. We all know that person who is always negative about everything — who always seems angry about something or at someone. They are hurt and filled with hurt and overflow with hurt.

Sometimes we are even that person Father, forgive us each time we close our eyes so consumed with hurt. to a bruised and wounded world, the shattered, broken lives, They/we have forgotten who we Empty ones who die alone forsaken in their shame. are! In Christ we are “Beloved”. In Every time we turn away we crucify again.

Christ we are a deeply and dearly Father forgive us each time that we disown loved person. And loved people love mothers who have lost their sons, the children with no home, other people. That is what Christ did.

Thousands crying out in thirst, the prisoners in pain.

He loved us so that we could love Every time we turn away we crucify again. each other.

Father, forgive us, our hearts remain unmoved It’s easy to forget who we are. That by suffering and poverty, we know not what we do. is why scripture reminds us over and When we fail to hear the voice of Christ in every cry, over again — and we should remind When we do not recognize the Savior in their eyes, each other over and over again: BeWe crucify again.

—Pamela Martin loved (deeply loved child of God) because you have been loved and

8 know love, we have been freed to show love and give love.

Let’s turn to our neighbor and Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you? tell them: “Beloved, deeply Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too. loved child of God, let us love We are pilgrims on a journey; we’re together on the road. one another.”

We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.

Prayer: I will hold the Christ-light for you in the night-time of your fear.

Holy Father, you have called us I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear. your beloved child. But I have known hurt and felt the deep I will weep when you are weeping; when you laugh I’ll laugh with you.

I will share your joy and sorrow till we’ve seen this journey through. burn of pain. Because of you, I have also been loved and know When we sing to God in heaven, we shall find such harmony, love. Forgive me when I hurt oth- Born of all we’ve known together of Christ’s love and agony. ers. Help me to forgive when I Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you? am hurt by others. Remind us of Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too. who we are and teach us to —Richard Gillard, 1977 love in you name. Amen.

Hymn Meditation: “Will You let Me Be Your Servant” click on title to listen

The phrase “servant leadership” can be seen as an oxymoron. I believe there is an inherent understanding that leadership, by definition, is getting others to do what the leader wants. Being a servant, on the other hand, is all about meeting the needs of others. How can these two dynamics co-exist? We have to look only as far as the perfect example of servant leadership, Jesus. In reading through the Scriptures, it quickly becomes evident that His ministry and His life were defined by His continued service to others; yet, at the risk of using hyperbole, no one else in history has amassed such a following. As is the case in so many areas, Jesus came and gave us an example of a new and better way to live. Studying His ministry, we see that servant leadership pleases God, identifies us as belonging to God, is flexible, and takes us out of our comfort zone.

Jesus repeated His life mission in word and deed repeatedly. It can best be exemplified by His words to His disciples in Matthew 20:26-28: “But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be the first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and give His life as a ransom for many.” (NLT) These words formed the foundation of His mission, and we see it at work in everything He did.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being the perfect example of what is means to be a servant leader. Help me to remember that servant leadership is not about pursuing my will, but Yours. Thank You that when I submit to Your will, You give me strength to do the things that You have called me to do. Help me, Jesus, to be flexible when dealing with others, and to authentically reflect Your heart to those in my life. Jesus, I want to hear you say that you are well-pleased with me. Thank You for helping me to be a servant leader, in Your name, Amen.

—Blue Mountain Devotions

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Hymn Meditation: “O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee” click on title to listen

O master let me walk with thee In lowly paths of service free; Tell me thy secret; help me bear The strain of toil, the fret of care.

Help me the slow of heart to move By some clear, winning word of love; Teach me the wayward feet to stay, And guide them in the homeward way.

In the years following the Civil War and the birth of the Industrial Revolution, the social gospel emerged. Washington Gladden (1838-1918) was one of the most distinguished clerTeach me thy patience, still with thee gymen of his era and a leader in the social gospel moveIn closer, dearer company, ment.

In work that keeps faith sweet and strong, This hymn was published in 1879 in three eight-line stanzas In trust that triumphs over wrong. in Sunday Afternoon, a magazine prepared by the author, In hope that sends a shining ray under the title “Walking with God.” C.H. Richards discovered the poem and included it in his 1880 hymnal, Christian Praise. Far down the future’s broadening way; In peace that only thou canst give, The stanzas were placed into four four-line stanzas and paired With thee, O Master, let me live. with the durable Victorian tune MARYTON. The hymn has be—Washington Gladden, 1879 come one of the most significant devotional hymns of this era.

The hymn addresses Christ as “Master” both at the beginning of stanza one and end of stanza four. The more commonly used reference to Christ, “Lord,” indicates a relationship of a feudal noble to a vassal, while “Master” perhaps implies more of a reciprocal respect between a teacher and disciple.

Throughout the remaining stanzas, the singer makes several petitions to the Master. In stanza one, we petition for the privilege of walking with Christ “in lowly paths of service.” We want to understand the “secret” of how we, as we serve Christ and others, can “bear the strain of toil, the fret of care.”

In stanza two, we petition Christ for sensitivity toward “the slow of heart”—those who do not recognize the wisdom offered by the Master. We ask to be taught how to guide those with “wayward feet” along “the homeward way.”

Stanza three turns inward, as we request to be taught “thy patience” so that we may dwell with Christ “in closer, dearer company.” Our labor will maintain a “faith [that is] sweet and strong” and our “trust” in the Master will help us “triumph... over wrong.”

In the final stanza, we look “far down the future’s broadening way” with “hope” and therefore have “peace” that only the Master “canst give” when we dwell with him.

Gladden was a native of Pennsylvania, and served churches in New York and Massachusetts before accepting a call to First Congregational Church, Columbus, Ohio, a parish he served for 32 years. Educated at Owego Academy and Williams College, he was the moderator of the National Council of Congregational Churches from 1904-1907. He served as one of the editors of the Pilgrim Hymnal(1904).

As editor of the Independent, he made important contributions to the cause of social justice.

While a pastor in Massachusetts, Gladden began preaching about labor-management problems, encouraging cooperation between employers and employees.

This theme aroused opposition from those who felt the role of a minister was “to save souls, not to regulate business.” Furthermore, he challenged the idea that the Bible was inerrant in matters of science and history.

From the Ohio pulpit, Gladden found willing listeners to his message at the State University of Columbus. He received invitations to deliver lectures at a number of universities including the Yale Divinity School. His tracts, Social Facts and Forces (1897) and Organized Labor and Capital (1904), were very influential.

Perhaps this hymn is a paradox. Few singers realize that behind the relatively peaceful words of Gladden’s poem, sung to a placid Victorian melody, one can find the witness of a champion for social justice.

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Sunday, March 15 Stumbling Warning Mark 9:38-50 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone[j] casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

“If any of you put a stumbling block be- “Misty Mountain Morning” Waynesville, NC Every morning His mercies are new; every morning we need new mercies. fore one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for “Every good and every perfect gift is from you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, above, and comes down from the Father of tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God Lights, with whom there is nor variableness, with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17 hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never “It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not quenched.

“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if consumed, because his compassions fail not. salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt They are new every morning: great is thy in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22.

Hymn Meditation: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”

“Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father; Of the many gospel hymns written in recent There is no shadow of turning with thee. times on the theme of God’s goodness and Thou changest not; thy compassions they fail not.

As thou hast been thou forever wilt be. faithfulness, this hymn stands out like a beacon of light. This hymn was not born of some great Great is thy faithfulness. Great is thy faithfulness. tragedy of experience, it was simply the result of Morning by morning new mercies I see. the author’s “morning by morning realization of All I have needed thy hand hath provided.

Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

God’s personal faithfulness.”

Thomas Obadiah Chisholm was born in Frank- Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, lin Kentucky, on July 29, 1866. Without the bene- Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness fit of high school or advanced training, he be- To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. gan his career as a school teacher at the age of sixteen in the same country school house Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, where he had received his elementary training. Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow: He went on to become an editor in the local Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside! newspaper and eventually an editor for a pa— Thomas O. Chisholm

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per in Louisville. He also served a short while as a Methodist minister and an insurance agent. But it is as a poet that he has made his greatest contribution.

Mr. Chisholm wrote more than 1200 poems, apDona nobis pacem periodicals. In a letter dated pearing in religious Et in terra pax hominibus 1941, Mr.voluntatis Chisholm writes: “My income has not Bonae been large at any time due to impaired health … us peace. but IGive must not fail to record here the unfailing faithAnd on earth peace to all of good willGod, who has givfulness of a covenant-keeping —Traditional en me many wonderful displays of His care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.”

Mr. Chisholm sent this hymn text to Rev. W. M. Runyan, a noted musician of the time. Mr. Runyan set the text to the tune FAITHFULNESS and it was first published in 1923.

Anthem Meditation: “ Amazing Grace” click on title to listen

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Ephesians 1:7 It’s hard to shake off a mother’s influence.

John Newton’s earliest memories were of his godly mother, Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, who despite fragile health, devoted herself to nurturing his That saved a wretch like me! soul. At her knee he memorized Bible passages and hymns.

I once was lost, but now am found, Though she died when he was about seven, he later reWas blind, but now I see. called her tearful prayers for him.

Amazing grace! Amazing grace!

After her death, John alternated between boarding So vast and yet so free! school and the high seas, wanting to live a good life but The Son of God, the righteous One, nonetheless falling deeper and deeper into sin. Pressed into Is crucified for me. service with the British Navy, he deserted, was captured, ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and after two days of suspense, was flogged. His subsequent And grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear thought vacillated between murder and suicide. “I was caThe hour I first believed! pable of anything.” He recalled.

Through many dangers, toils and snares, More voyages, dangers, toils, and snares followed. It was I have already come. a life unrivaled in fiction. Then, on the night of March 9, ‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, 1748, was jolted awake by a brutal storm that descended And grace will lead me home. too suddenly for the crew to foresee. The next day, a great When we’ve been there ten thousand years, peril, he cried to the Lord. He later wrote, “That tenth of Bright shining as the sun, March is a day much remembered by me; and I have never We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise suffered it to pass unnoticed since the year 1748 — the Lord Than when we’d first begun. came from on high and delivered me out of deep waters.”

Amazing grace! Amazing grace!

The next several years saw slow, halting spiritual growth in So vast and yet so free!

John, but in the end he became one of the most powerful The Son of God, the righteous One, Is crucified for me. preachers in British history, a powerful foe of slavery, and the — John Newton, 1772 author of hundreds of hymns.

14 12 Here are some things that you may not know about Newton’s most famous hymn. His original title was “Faith’s Review and Expectation.” (Catchy huh?) It is based in Newton’s study of 1 Chronicles 17:16-17: “King David...said: ‘Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that you have brought me this far? And yet…

Dona nobis pacem you have also spoken of your servant’s house for a Et in terra pax hominibus Bonae voluntatis great while to come, and have regarded me according to the rank of high degree…”

Give us peace. most And onThe earthfinal peacestanza to all of in good will hymnals, “When We’ve been —Traditional was not originally a part of there. Ten thousand years…” this hymn and was not written by John Newton. It was an editorial mistake that occurred many, many years later. An editor of a new hymnal included John Newton’s text, but also included the final stanza and another hymn that had been printed beside “Amazing Grace.” By the time this “mistake” was found, the hymn was already in wide circulation and the included stanza became adopted into Newton’s hymn.

Hymn Meditation: “More Love to Thee, O Christ” “And this is my prayer: That your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.” Phil. 1:9-11 To love Christ more is the deepest need, the constant cry of my soul … out in the woods, and on my bed, and out driving, … the whisper keeps going up for more love, more love, more love!

These were the words of Elizabeth Prentiss, wife of a Presbyterian minister and author of this hymn text. She was often described by her many friends as “a very bright-eyed little woman with a keen sense of humor, who cared more to shine in More love to thee, O Christ, more love to thee! her own happy household than a wide circle Hear thou the prayer I make on bended knee. of society.” Although Elizabeth was strong in This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to thee; More love to thee, more love to thee! spirit, she was frail in body. Throughout her life, she was almost an invalid, scarcely knowing a Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest; moment free of pain.

Now thee alone I seek, give what is best.

“More Love to Thee” was written by Mrs. This all my prayer shall be: More love, O Christ, to thee; More love to thee, more love to thee!

Prentiss during a time of great personal sorrow, following the loss of two children in a short periLet sorrow do its work, come grief and pain; od of time. During this period of grief, Mrs. Sweet are thy messengers, sweet their refrain, When they can sing with me: More love, O Christ, to thee; Prentiss began meditating upon the story of More love to thee, more love to thee!

Jacob in the Old Testament. She noted how God met him in a very special way during his Then shall my latest breath whisper thy praise; moments of sorrow. Elizabeth prayed earnestly This be the parting cry my heart shall raise; This still its prayer shall be: More love, O Christ, to thee; that she too might have a similar experience.

More love to thee, more love to thee!

While she was meditating and praying one — Elizabeth Prentiss evening, these four stanzas were born — words

13 that have since become a universal prayer for devout believers everywhere: “This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ to Thee, more love to Thee, more love to Thee!

Hymn Meditation: “In the Cross of Christ I Glory”

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

In the cross of Christ I glory, Galatians 6:14 towering o'er the wrecks of time; The cross has been the most significant symbol of the all the light of sacred story Christian faith throughout church history. It is said that as gathers round its head sublime. many as 400 different forms and designs of it have been When the woes of life o'er take me, used. Regardless of the design, the symbol of the cross hopes deceive, and fears annoy, never shall the cross forsake me. should always remind us of the price that was paid by the Lo! it glows with peace and joy. eternal God for man’s redemption. “In the Cross of Christ I Glory” is generally considered one of the finest hymns on When the sun of bliss is beaming light and love upon my way, the subject. This hymn was written by John Bowring, one of from the cross the radiance streaming the most remarkable men of his day as well as one of the adds more luster to the day. greatest linguists who ever lived. It is said that he could Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, converse in over 100 different languages before his death. by the cross are sanctified; John Bowring visited peace is there that knows no measure, Macao, on the South joys that through all time abide.

Chinese Coast. There In the cross of Christ I glory, he was impressed by towering o'er the wrecks of time; the sight of a bronze all the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime. cross towering over the — John Bowring ruins of a once great cathedral.

This cathedral, originally built by Portuguese colonists, had been destroyed by a typhoon. Only one crumbling wall survived — the wall toped by the massive bronze cross.

This scene greatly impressed Mr. Bowring, and eventually inspired him to write this text.

“In the cross of Christ I glory, Towering o’er the wrecks of time; All the light of sacred story Gathers round its head sublime.”

This week, determine to allow the glory of Christ’s cross to be evident in all that you do.

14

Sunday, March 22 Jesus Blesses thenobisChildren Dona pacem Et in terra pax hominibus Bonae voluntatis

Mark 10:1-16

Give peace.

Heusleft that place and went to the region of And onand earth peace to of goodAnd will crowds Judea beyond theallJordan.

—Traditional

again gathered around him; and, as was his custom, he again taught them.

Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Hymn Meditation: “Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy”

(click

title to listen)

Joseph Hart, author of “Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy”, was born in London in 1712. He was raised in a Christian home, but he turned away from the church in his twenties. He even described himself as a “monstrous sinner.” He wrote, “I ran such dangerous lengths both of carnal and of spiritual wickedness that I outwent professed infidels.” Joseph even wrote an anti-Christian pamphlet entitled “The Unreasonable- Come, ye sinners, poor and needy, ness of Religion,” in Weak and wounded, sick and sore; Jesus ready stands to save you, response to a serFull of pity, love, and power. mon John Wesley preached from Ro- I will arise and go to Jesus, He will embrace me in his arms. mans 8.

In the arms of my dear Savior, Finally, at age forO, there are ten thousand charms. ty-five, after a serious bout with depres- Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome; sion, his heart was God’s free bounty glorify, True belief and true repentance, turned again to Every grace that brings you nigh.

Christ, after attending a Moravian service on Pentecost Sunday 1757. “Such a Come, ye weary, heavy laden, light and comfort flowed into my heart, as no words can Lost and ruined by the fall; If you tary till you’re better, paint.” you will never come at all.

Soon Joseph was writing Christian poems which became very popular. He entered into ministry and served in a meet- Let not conscience make you linger, inghouse in London until his death in 1768. By then, he was so Nor of fitness fondly dream; All the fitness he requireth beloved that 20,000 people attended his funeral.

Is to feel your need of him.

His greatest hymn is an expression of his testimony: “I will — Joseph Hart arise and go to Jesus, he will embrace me in his arms. In the

15 arms of my dear Savior, O , there are ten thousand charms.”

—Kenneth W. Osbeck “101 Hymn Sotires” As you sing this hymn, note how the verses are a call to come to the loving arms of Christ and the refrain is the responsive declaration of entering into those embracive arms.

Anthem Meditation: “Jesus Loves Me”

The story is told of a brilliant professor at Princeton Seminary who always left his graduation class with these words: “Gentlemen, there is still much in this world and in the Bible that I do not understand, but of one thing I am certain — ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so’ — and gentlemen, that is sufficient!”

Without a doubt the Jesus loves me, this I know, song that has been sung For the bible tells me so, more by children than any Little ones to Him belong; They are weak but He is strong. other hymn is this simply stated one by Anna Warner. Written in 1860, it is still one of the first hymns taught to new converts in Yes, Jesus loves me! other lands.

The Bible tells me so.

Miss Warner wrote this text in collaboration with her sister SuJesus loves me, He will stay san. It was part of their novel Say and Seal, one of the best sellClose beside me all the way. ing books of that day. Today few individuals would know or reJesus loves me! member the plot of that story, which once stirred the hearts of Yes, Jesus loves me! many readers. But the simple poem spoken by one of the charThe Bible tells me so. acters, still remains the favorite hymn of countless children — Anna B. Warner around the world.

Williams Bradbury, the composer of the music, was one of the leading contributors to the development of the early gospel music in America. He became recognized as one of the pioneers in children’s music both for the church and in the public schools. In 1861 Bradbury composed the music for Anna Warner’s text and personally added the chorus to her four stanzas. The hymn appeared the following year in Bradbury’s hymnal collection, The Golden Sower.

We are never too old to sing or hear: “Yes, Jesus love Child of Blessing, child of promise, me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible Baptized with the Spirit’s sign, tells me so.”

With this water God has sealed you Unto love and grace divine.

Hymn Meditation: “Child of Blessing, Child of Promise” The account of Jesus blessing the children comes near the end of his ministry. He was on his final, singleminded mission to Jerusalem, when the Gospel of Mark recorded that people “were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them.” Perhaps not surprisingly, his disciples, thinking Jesus had more important things on his mind, tried to put a stop to it.

Child of love, our love’s expression, Love’s creation, loved indeed!

Fresh from God, refresh our spirits; Into joy and laughter lead.

Child of joy, our dearest treasure, God’s you are, from God you came.

Back to God we humbly give you: Live as one who bears Christ’s name.

Child of God, your loving Parent, Learn to listen for God’s call.

Grow to laugh and sing and worship; Trust and love God more than all.

— Ronald S. Cole-Turner, 1980

14 16 But Jesus said: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:14-15) Interestingly, many people overlook this passage of JeDona nobis pacem sus blessing the children in the Gospels because it doesn’t Et in terra pax hominibus seem to carry much theological or historical importance.

Bonae voluntatis Actually, Jesus was doing something significant here.

Give us peace.

Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, fathers blessed their chilAnd on earth peace to all of good will dren. From Noah blessing Shem and Japheth, to Abraham —Traditional blessing Isaac, Isaac blessing Jacob, and Jacob blessing his sons, who became the fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel – these types of spiritual blessings were very important in the Jewish culture.

It was a tradition at the time of Jesus, that fathers would bring their children to the local synagogue, where the elders would join the father in a prayer of blessing. The traditional prayer for the child was that they would be “famous in the Law, faithful in marriage, and abundant in good works.” The father would lay his hands on the child’s head. The elders of the synagogue would surround them and bless the child. It was a special event in the local community. Now, people were bringing their children to Jesus, which seems to be consistent with this kind of blessing.

There is an interesting contrast to be found in this story, that Jesus touched the children when he blessed them, because that is something the scribes and Pharisees never did. They made it a point not to touch people at all because they believed that would defile them – religiously speaking. Jesus never held himself back from people that way.

So Jesus blessing the children doesn’t seem like all that big a deal on the surface, but here’s what makes this act of Jesus so significant: Throughout the Gospels, Jesus never pronounced a blessing on anyone other than a person whom he said, belonged in the “Kingdom of God.” The end of verse 14 is key, “For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

To say that the Kingdom of God belonged to children ran smack in the face of the religious Judaism of the day. They were convinced that if you didn’t somehow earn your way to heaven by doing good works, then you didn’t get to go there… and in their view, children were unable to earn anything because they didn’t know the difference between right and wrong yet.

So how could Jesus identify someone as a part of the Kingdom of God who couldn’t do anything to earn it? With this seemingly insignificant act of blessing these children, Jesus was communicating a radical new idea “Go, my children, with my blessing, never alone. that can be summed up in one Waking, sleeping, I am with you, you are my own. word…grace. Grace, by definiIn my love’s baptismal river I have made you mine forever. tion, is favor that is undeserved.

Go, my children, with my blessing, you are my own.”

—-”The Story on the Road to Je“Go, my children, sins forgiven, at peace and pure. rusalem” Randall Niles Here you learned how much I love you, what I can cure.

Here you heard my dear Son’s story; here you touched him, saw his glory.

Go, my children, sins forgiven, at peace and pure.”

Hymn Meditation: “Go, My Children with My Blessing” (

“Go, my children, fed and nourished, closer to me.

Grow in love and love by serving, joyful and free.

Here my Spirit’s power filled you, here my tender comfort stilled you. click title to listen) Go, my children, fed and nourished, joyful and free.”

— Jaroslav J. J=Vajda, 1983

17

Sunday, March 29 Things We Leave Behind Mark 10:17-31 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Hymn Meditation: “Holy God, We Praise Your Name” (click title to listen)

Translators are hymn writers too, and they contribute significantly to Christian hymnody. Translating hymns for singing is even more challenging than translating prose. The translator must honor the content of the original poetry, while writing a version that fits the meter and word accent of a pre-existing tune. Then the words should sing as naturally as possible in the new language. In many ways, translating a hymn for singing is like writing a new hymn.

Clarence Augustus Walworth (1820-1900) studied for the ministry at Union College (1838), considering a vocation as an Episcopal priest. Then, following his father’s bidding, he studied law, passed the bar, and became an attorney in 1841. Abandoning law, he continued his study at General Theological Seminary, New York City. According to his obituary, Walworth decided to become a Roman Catholic priest while in New York. Following a severe bout with malaria, he became a pastor of St. Mary’s Church, Albany, New York, from 1866-1892. He died in Albany in 1900. In addition to publishing a number of works, he was an amateur geologist, developing an extensive knowledge of the geological topography of New York State.

18 Holy God, we praise your name; Lord of all we bow before you.

All on earth your scepter claim; All in heaven above adore you.

Infinite your vast domain, Everlasting is your reign.

Hark! The glad celestial hymn Angel choirs above are raising; Cherubim and seraphim.

In unceasing chorus praising, Fill the heavens with sweet accord: “Holy, holy, holy Lord!”

All apostles join the strain As your sacred name the hallow; Prophets swell the glad refrain, And the blessed martyrs follow, And from morn to set of sun, Through the church the song goes on.

Turning to the author of the German text, Ignaz Franz (17191790), born in Poland, was a German Roman Catholic priest and hymnologist who compiled song collections. Franz edited several hymnbooks, one of which was the source of the melody. The original German “Grosser Gott, wir loben dich” is a paraphrase of the important fourth- or fifth-century canticle, Te Deum Laudamus (“We praise you God”), a Trinitarian hymn The original Latin text follows within 200 years of the important Council of Nicea (325 C.E.), where the nature of the Trinity was the topic, and out of which the Nicene Creed was formed. It is no wonder that Walworth wanted to translate this important historical text into metrical English.

In this case, the trek to the hymn that appears in hymnals begins with the original Latin in the fourth century, through the translation in the Book of Common Holy Father, Holy Son, Prayer (1662) in the sevHoly Spirit, three we name you, enteenth century, to the While in essence only one; German versification by Undivided God we claim you, Franz in the eighteenth And adoring, bend the knee century, and finally to While we own the mystery.

—Ignaz Franz Walworth’s translation in the nineteenth century.

Actually, there is one more stop along the way, but I fear that I am asking a lot of all but the most dedicated reader! This is the journey of one of the oldest and most historically important Christian hymn.

— C. Michael Hawn, Perkins School of Theology

Anthem Meditation: “Heavy”

This new anthem by Russell Nagy is written in the style of a traditional Spiritual.

Sin was heavy, O so heavy, “Brother, sister, have Lonesome heavy upon that tree. you seen him, Growin’ heavy, O so heavy, Seen how he’s hangin’ All the day He died for me. on that tree?

Brother, sister, have you seen Him, Seen how he won’t Seen how He’s hangin’ on that tree? come down for freedom, Seen how He won’t come down for freedom, Down from the tree of glory?

Down from the tree of glory?

How is this tree of suffering and burden also a tree of Load was heavy, O so heavy, Loathsome heavy upon that tree. glory?

Growin’ heavy, O so heavy How is the image of the cross both a symbol of repentance All the day He died for me. and a symbol of victory, mercy and salvation?

Time was heavy, O so heavy, Tiresome heavy upon that tree.

We call it "Good Friday," but no one standing there that I was heavy, O so heavy, day would have called that Friday "good." The best man All the day He died for me. that history ever knew was nailed to a Roman cross and When He died for you and me.

---Joel Nagy murdered. For His enemies it was a victory of sorts; for the soldiers it was simply another day's work; for His followers it

19 was the death of their brightest hopes and greatest dreams. But no one would have called that Friday "good."

We need a theological interpretation of disaster, one that recognizes that God acts in such events as captivities, defeats, and crucifixions. The Bible can be interpreted as a string of God's triumphs disguised as disasters."

Face each day with trust in Jesus Christ. God's greatest victories often come disguised as defeats.

—Haddon W. Robinson,

Hymn Meditation: “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” Cross Crosslet

During the season of Lent we have been sharing some of the crosses God’s people use to help us remember the great and wonderful love God has for us.

This cross is called the Cross Crosslet. Look carefully and you will find four crosses joined together to make up the cross crosslet.

This cross helps us remember that Jesus died for all peoples. So we bring the good news of Lent and Easter to all those who live to the East and to the West, to the North and to the South. And the whole world will praise His sacred name.

Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand, The shadow of a mighty rock Within a weary land; A home within the wilderness, A rest upon the way, From the burning of the noontide heat, And the burden of the day.

Upon that cross of Jesus Mine eye at times can see The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me; And from my stricken heart with tears Two wonders I confess: The wonders of redeeming love And my unworthiness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow For my abiding place; I ask no other sunshine than The sunshine of his face; Content to let the world go by, To know no gain nor loss, My sinful self my only shame, My glory all the cross.

— Elizabeth Clephane

The author of this hymn, Elizabeth Clephane, was born in Edinburgh, where her father was Sheriff of Fife. One of her siblings later wrote: “My sister was a very quiet little child, shrinking from notice and was always absorbed in books. The loss of both her parents at an early age taught her sorrow. As she grew up she was recognized as the cleverest one of our family. She was first in her class at school. He love for poetry was a passion. Among the sick and suffering she won the name, ‘My Sunbeam.’” (Elizabeth’s own comment on her nickname is written into a line of this hymns: “I take, O Cross, thy shadow for my abiding place; I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face.”)

At some point, Elizabeth’s family moved to Melrose, southeast of Edinburgh, where she spent her remaining years.

Though frail, she was a diligent Bible student, a sympathetic listener, and a worker among the poor. She and her sisters raised money for the unfortunate, on one occasion selling their horse and carriage for a needy family.

Ash Wednesday Reclaimed by Reformed churches in the last few decades, Ash Wednesday is the entry point for Lenten preparation. It is a service rich in ritual and symbolism. Palms waved at the previous year’s Palm Sunday service are saved and burned to create ashes for the next Ash Wednesday.

Participants on Ash Wednesday come forward for a minister or elder to mark their foreheads with the sign of the cross in ashes, saying the words, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return,” from Genesis 3:19. With these words, disciples are reminded of their mortality and, when combined with the sign of the cross, they are also reminded of the hope of the resurrection.

Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent provide time to explore the mystery at the heart of the gospel that being a Christian means a new life through Christ.

Maundy Thursday The Thursday before Easter Sunday is the day to commemorate the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples. The story of Jesus breaking and blessing bread at the Passover meal, as a reminder of his life given freely for all, is told in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This Passover act became the sacrament of holy communion in the Christian church. Celebration of communion is usually the centerpiece of a Maundy Thursday service.

Another element of a Maundy Thursday service may be the act of foot washing. Many scholars believe the term maundy is taken from the Latin word mandatum or mandate. John’s Gospel does not tell about the institution of communion at his last Passover meal; it highlights the story of Jesus girding himself with a towel, taking a basin of water, and washing his disciples’ feet. John 13:34 includes Jesus’ words, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” The observance of foot washing is practiced in some Presbyterian churches as a reminder of the kind of love and servanthood Christ asks of his disciples today.

Good Friday The Friday before Easter is the day to remember the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Many wonder why this day is called good. This Friday is sometimes called Holy or Black Friday, but the term good reminds us of Jesus’ blameless, good, and pious life. Churches sometimes have a special worship service between noon and 3 p.m. to represent the hours that the sky turned dark as Jesus suffered and died. Many congregations base Good Friday worship on Jesus’ last words from the cross.

Tenebrae One other Lenten practice often observed during Holy Week is Tenebrae, Latin for “shadows” or “darkness.” The unique feature of this worship service is the extinguishing of one candle after each reading until the room or sanctuary is totally dark. The darkness reminds those present of the days Jesus spent in the tomb. This service can be held on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, or Holy Saturday. Scripture for this service usually consists of Gospel readings describing the Last Supper through the crucifixion, including the last words of Jesus from the cross. The end of the service is usually marked by the lighting of one candle, reminding those present that the darkness does not overcome; the light will shine again. Easter is coming!