Thoughts on Good Friday, Day 39, Lent 2013

-
Today's Lenten reading started in 1 Timothy and ended in James. Good Friday has narrowed my focus. There's this bloody passage in Hebrews 9:11-15
Icon of the Crucifixion, 16th century, by Theo...
Icon of the Crucifixion, 16th century, by Theophanes the Cretan (Stavronikita Monastery, Mount Athos) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
11 So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. 13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15 That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.
I attended a worship service this afternoon and used the hymnal as a guide for meditation. One hymn, by William Cowper in the 1700's, stands out to me in light of this passage.

1. There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins;
 and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
 and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
 2. The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
 and there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.
 Wash all my sins away, wash all my sins away;
 and there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.
 3. Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood shall never lose its power
 till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
 Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
 till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
 4. E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream thy flowing wounds supply,
 redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
 And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
 redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
 5. Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing thy power to save,
 when this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
 Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
 when this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.



Enhanced by Zemanta

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why did Peter put his coat on before jumping in the water? John 21:7

-
I have the great pleasure of facilitating every week a Bible discussion group with several high school students. We've been discussing the Gospel of John  this past year, and we finally finished tonight. We enjoyed the humorous scene John writes about in this last chapter. The great apostle John can't help himself when it comes to embarrassing his fellow inner circle apostle; the denial of Christ, his slowness in getting to the empty tomb, and this event in the last chapter. John 21:7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. What's the joke? Well John is the first to realize that Jesus is on the beach, #humblebrag, but then Peter puts ON his coat before jumping out of the boat? I've seen some academic ink spilled trying to explain this weird behavior on the part of this fisherman ( good one ...
Read more

bike review: Actionbent JS2-US, for sale

-
Image
Update 2011: Sold to the LBS in trade for something new. Pictures soon. Update May 2009. This baby needs a tuneup, cables and tires, and I bought something new . If you are interested in buying this from me for $350 and are willing to pick it up in New London County Connecticut, contact me by email or facebook. Both contact methods can be found to the right below the "about me" section. Click on "contact the Umblogger." Here is my new bike review from April 2007, 2 years ago. I still think the Huffy Star-Spangler would be my ideal bike. I bought a recumbent bike last month from Actionbent and have been using it for my commute. here is a picture of the Jet Stream 2, understeering. i've been a bicycle commuter for years but last summer i developed at work a bad case of tendinitis in both wrists which made riding painful. one day i longed for my old Huffy Star Spangler with the banana seat and the hot rod handle bars and pined for the good old days. then i remembe...
Read more

Binishell - concrete dome homes

-
Image
IM Design has been bringing great housing alternatives to its blog lately. Like this thing. Binishell : These pictures are pretty old, but there are new ones at the new website, Binishells.com . There is similar technology in use in the US used by Monolithic Dome . Monolithic seems to take more work. Bini lays the re-bar in circles on top of the air bladder, but springs run cross wise through that steel. The concrete is poured on the flat bladder and re-bar and springs and then the bladder is inflated before the concrete sets. All the technical details are explained on the older version of the website. Insulation still needs to be added on the dome and a finish coat after that. Monolithic blows up the bladder first, then sets up re-bar inside then insulation is sprayed on then concrete. No matter what, I like domes and round homes .
Read more