I'm sharing two beloved hymns today (it was hard to narrow it down to just two). With Easter almost upon us, it seems appropriate to take some time to remember the night of Christ's betrayal: the washing of the disciples' feet; the celebration of the Passover; the last supper; and the hour of agony in the garden. With this in mind, the following two hymns help focus our thoughts towards the Cross and the reason we remember.
Lest I forget Gethsemane was written by Jane (Jennie) Hussy in around 1921 and is her most well-known and well-sung hymn. The hymn invites us to reflect on the events leading up to Christ's crucifixion, as well as what happened afterwards at the [empty] tomb.
King of my life, I crown Thee now,
Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary.
Lest I forget Gethsemane;
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.
Show me the tomb where Thou wast laid,
Tenderly mourned and wept;
Angels in robes of light arrayed
Guarded Thee while Thou slept.
Let me like Mary, through the gloom,
Come with a gift to Thee;
Show to me now the empty tomb,
Lead me to Calvary.
May I be willing, Lord, to bear
Daily my cross for Thee;
Even Thy cup of grief to share,
Thou hast borne all for me.
Fill me, O Lord, with Thy desire
For all that know not Thee;
Then touch my lips with holy fire,
To speak of Calvary.
The other beloved hymn, written only eight years earlier than the one above, focuses more on the reason for Christ's death than on the events. Written by George Bennard, The Old Rugged Cross, is another familiar and often sung hymn.
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame,
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above,
To bear it to dark Calvary.
In the old rugged cross, stained with blood
so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see;
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
There are many more hymns that deal with Christ's death (and resurrection - but that's for Sunday!). Hymns that remind us of one of the central differences between Christianity and other religions. Not only did our Saviour come to earth us a babe and lived amongst men, but then, to fulfil the will of the Father, He went to the cross and bore the price for our sins. No wonder, as the songwriter wrote, the cross is despised by the world. For those who accept Christ's sacrifice they cherish what occurred on that old rugged cross. But for those who reject Him, the cross seems like madness. As Paul wrote, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18).
I found it hard to find videos of these songs sung the way I felt they should be sung. But here's a sample of each:
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