The following is a prayer I wrote for good Friday in 2005. Just recently I re read it and reflected on it (believe it or not on Valentine's day. It does ask a question about what love is and the answer comes not as a Hallmark moment or with chocolates and flowers and candlelight dinners but rather in the midst of a horrific torture scene. Not romantic love but... God's love for us. In a way that is beyond my ability to comprehend. People will note that it's good Friday context is also why there is not a resurrection stanza... that came with Easter Sunday.
Originally the line "what love is this?" comes from a worship song by New Zealand Band 'Form'. Which starts out as a common garden variety mass produced worship song and then in the midst of a very short chorus seems to become aware of God's presence and love and changes to a simple one line response "Glory, Glory, Glory".
Those reading this prayer will note that the last stanza is in actual fact a verse from Stuart Townsend's beautiful song "How Deep The Fathers Love For Us" ( 1995, Thank You Music) which on the Good Friday I used it in public worship was the song we sang after this prayer.
What Love is this?
Unlooked for
Undeserved
Freely Given
You O God reached down into our humanity
Even into the darkness of our inhumanity
With the light of your great Love
What Love is this?
A servant
Humble
Obedient even unto death
You sent your son Jesus, who befriended the outcast
Healed the blind, the lame and cared for the poor
Taught and showed what our heavenly father is like
What Love is This?
Betrayed
Innocent yet condemned
Beaten and tortured
The sovereign king receives a crown of thorns
The welcoming outstretched hands nailed to a cross
Nails through the blessed feet that bring good news
What Love is this
Gasping for breath
Excruciating pain
Dying
We thought him stricken by God, cursed
Yet it was our iniquity, our wrong doing that he bore
Through his death we have freedom and life
What love is this?
Side pieced
Buried in a tomb
Stone sealed
Beyond our ability to understand you have done it
Paid the price for us and invited us to come to you
What love is this can any grave hold it down?
What love is this?
How deep the father love for us
So rich beyond all measure
That he should give his only son
To make a wretch like me his treasure
Thank you O God for a love like this
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment