Redbuds and daffodils, dogwoods and jonquils burst through winter’s cold to introduce spring. Driving along a county road, you’ll notice land around abandoned homesteads, dilapidated barns, rock walls, and historic graveyards displaying plantings connecting yesteryear to today. Like the familiar story of these Lenten and Easter seasons, early signs of this beauty awaken us to new life.
Let me encourage you to explore some experiences this spring that connect you to nature and spiritual renewal. If you are in the mountains in the next few weeks, invest at least a half-hour just reflecting how the beauty of a vista allows you to connect with The Living God as creator. If you are at the beach in the next few weeks, listen to the waves and connect with the power of God in your life. If you have the opportunity to plant any flowers or vegetables in the next few weeks, connect with the God who works out of sight to bring new growth and nourishment.
One of ways I explore spiritual renewal during this season is by reflecting on hymn lyrics and hymn stories. For example, Isaac Watts wrote more than 750 hymns. In 1707, he wrote,
“Alas and did my savior bleed; and did my sovereign die?
Would he devote that sacred head, for such a worm as I?
Was it for crimes that I had done, he groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown! And love beyond degree.
But drops of grief can ne’er repay, the debt of love I owe,
Here Lord, I give myself away, Tis all that I can do.”
One-hundred-forty-three years later, in November of 1850, a thirty year old woman was in worship in the sanctuary of Thirteenth Street Methodist Church in New York City. She was praying for God’s peace. During that service, she sang with the congregation those words written by Isaac Watts – “Here Lord, I give myself away, Tis all that I can do.” That young woman yielded her will to God’s will and entered a new way of life that still blesses millions of people around the world. Her name was Fanny Crosby who went on to write more than 8,000 hymns and songs.
By the way, you may know Isaac Watts’ 1707 hymn by a different name. That is because a fellow named Ralph Hudson added a refrain in 1885. He renamed the hymn from ‘Alas and Did My Savior Bleed’ to ‘At the Cross.’ Here is the chorus he added:
“At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith, I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day.”
It could seem a bit odd to connect a bleeding savior to being happy all the day.
But it is not any more amazing than the cold and dark of winter being transformed by the new life of Redbuds and daffodils, dogwoods and jonquils.
Shalom!
