No event in history is more important than the cross of Jesus Christ. Yet the world around us distracts us from this great act of love and justice, of mercy and punishment. Thus we need times of intentional focus on this theme. In addition to our services Friday evening and Sunday morning, please take time this week to focus on the cross, and all that it entails.<\/p>\n
Here are some resources to help you do that.<\/p>\n
The scriptural accounts: <\/strong>We will read Mark\u2019s account of the cross and the resurrection at our services. Read the other accounts also: Matthew 26-27, Luke 22-23, and John 18-19.<\/p>\n Bach\u2019s St Matthew\u2019s Passion: <\/strong>I have spent many a Good Friday afternoon listening to this masterpiece, which includes all of the text of Matthew\u2019s account as well as various hymns and meditations. There are numerous recordings available on YouTube and the usual music apps. Listen especially to the account of Jesus\u2019 dying on the cross and its immediate aftermath beginning at 5:30 of this video<\/a>, and continuing to the first 2:15 minutes of this video<\/a>. The links include English subtitles for the German lyrics; the text is from Matthew 27:45-54. Some consider Bach\u2019s rendition of the centurion\u2019s cry, \u201cTruly this was the Son of God\u201d the most beautiful piece in the entirety of western music.<\/p>\n John Piper\u2019s narrative poem, \u201cPilate\u2019s Wife\u201d<\/strong>: Part 1<\/a>, Part 2<\/a>, Part 3<\/a>. Pastor John wrote these poems for Advent in 2002, a few weeks after Beth and I moved to this area; I read parts to our fledgling church plant that year. Here is an excerpt from the end of part 1.<\/p>\n Come, children, take your fire, and light Bob Chilcott\u2019s St John\u2019s Passion. <\/strong>This piece, first performed in 2013, is new for me this year. In the tradition of Bach\u2019s passions, Chilcott includes all of John\u2019s account, intermixing the English text with hymns written between the 5th<\/sup> and 19th<\/sup> centuries. The music is all new. You can read the biblical and hymn texts via this pdf file<\/a> and listen to the one-hour performance here<\/a>. The musical setting for When I Survey the Wondrous Cross<\/a> \u2013 the closing piece \u2013 is exceptionally beautiful. Here are the texts of three of the other hymns Chilcott uses, with links to the recordings:<\/p>\n Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle<\/a> <\/em>by Venantius Fortunatus (c. 530\u2013c. 600), translated by Percy Dearmer (1867\u20131936)<\/p>\n Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle, God in pity saw man fallen,
\nThis advent candle one. For bright
\nAnd blazing is our hope and deep
\nDesire that all the world would leap
\nTo know the truth that Christ destroys
\nFalse worlds that he might fill with joys.
\nTo know the truth that massacres
\nMight be forgiv’n and one who errs
\nA thousand times may find at last
\nThat all his horrid sins are cast
\nInto the deep, and Christ, by grace,
\nHas made his massacre a place
\nOf life where even those who scorned
\nHis face, may be with life adorned.<\/p>\n
\nSing the ending of the fray;
\nNow above the Cross, the trophy,
\nSound the loud triumphant lay:
\nTell how Christ, the world\u2019s Redeemer,
\nAs a victim won the day.<\/p>\n
\nShamed and sunk in misery,
\nWhen he fell on death by tasting
\nFruit of the forbidden tree;
\nThen another tree was chosen
\nWhich the world from death should free.<\/p>\n