December 8: Consolation
♫ Music:
CONSOLATION
Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
None Other Lamb
by Christina Rossetti
None other Lamb, none other Name,
None other hope in Heav’n or earth or sea,
None other hiding place from guilt and shame,
None beside Thee!
My faith burns low, my hope burns low;
Only my heart’s desire cries out in me
By the deep thunder of its want and woe,
Cries out to Thee.
Lord, Thou art Life, though I be dead;
Love’s fire Thou art, however cold I be:
Nor Heav’n have I, nor place to lay my head,
Nor home, but Thee.
THE ONLY ONE
Any loss, be it the loss of a spouse, relative or friend, the loss of a job or an opportunity, brings with it definite pain. There seems to be no remedy for this particular, intensive kind of pain. Some, seeking to help the sufferer, suggest that things could be worse or that keeping busy will keep that person's mind off the severity of the loss.
But for both the believer and nonbeliever alike, there is only one answer. Jesus. He Himself is the only all-present consoler, and through His Spirit, the greatest comforter. He is truly the great joy-bringer and the hope-filled life-bringer.
How can this be? It is because he came to us as a helpless baby. And He suffered the loss of his friend Lazarus. Moreover, He was falsely accused and readily rejected – a man who gave up His own life for us, and for our salvation. He is the only one who completely understands our deepest anguish and overwhelming sorrow. Because Jesus wept.
The true story of George Harley, a medical missionary to the Mano tribe in Liberia well illustrates this reality. In 1926, the members of the tribe helped this young missionary build a health clinic and a chapel. And although Dr. Harley treated some 10,000 natives a year, no one came to the chapel during the first five years of his residency. After his wife joined him, she gave birth to their son, the son whom he loved deeply. However, in spite of the doctor's most valiant efforts, his five-year-old beloved boy died of a tropical fever. George Harley then built his own son's coffin and began the terrible trek to the gravesite. An old man of the village saw him, asked about the box, and subsequently offered to help him carry the coffin. Harley describes the scene in his own words: "When we had covered the grave, I just couldn't stand it any longer . . . I fell down on my knees in the dirt and began to sob uncontrollably . . . the old man cocked his head in stunned amazement. He squatted down beside me and looked at me intently. For a long time, he sat there listening to me cry. Then suddenly, he leaped to his feet and went running back up the trail through the jungle, screaming again and again, at the top of his voice, "White man, white man – he cries like one of us!" That very night, all of the men, women, and children of the tribe with their chief came to the Harley home. They wanted to know about Jesus. This amazing story is recorded by Max Lucado in his most recent book, Because of Bethlehem. He concludes the telling of this tale with these words, "He (Jesus) came with tears too . . . Does God understand you? Find the answer in Bethlehem."
Prayer
Lord, help me find all that I need in the only One who is able to understand my sorrow and brokenness.
Amen.
William Lock
Professor of Music, Emeritus
Embrace
Pedro Cano
Oil on canvas
Vatican Collection of Modern Religious Art, Rome, Italy
About the Artist and Art:
Spaniard Pedro Cano (b. 1944) began making art at the age of ten when his father passed away. He moved to Madrid to study art at the Academy of San Fernando in 1964 and finished his studies at the Spanish Academy in Rome. Over the course of his life he has traveled the world exhibiting his work.
Mark Haydu writes, “The Embrace is a powerful image that accentuates paternal love and union. The painting recollects the moment when Pope John Paul II, at the mass of installation to the papacy, embraced his mentor and lifelong friend, Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski. The subdued coloring gives the painting a certain eternal quality. Portraying a moment frozen in time, it represents something much bigger than the historical event that inspired it. For Christians, eternal and deeper realities are ever-present. The two figures are subtly distinguishable, one from the other, and seem to be fused together, almost as though two figures have been carved out of one piece of marble. The mutual self-giving love makes this exchange striking, recalling indeed the embrace of the prodigal son and his forgiving father. There is no distance between the characters portrayed in this painting, no rancor or questioning, only the total happiness of being forgiven.”
http://fundacionpedrocano.jimdo.com
About the Music:
“Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus”
Lyrics:
Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.
About the Composer
Charles Wesley (1707-1788) was the founder of the Methodist movement and known for writing over 6,000 hymns. In 1738 Charles Wesley had a powerful conversion experience and as a result felt renewed strength to spread the Gospel to ordinary people. It was during this period that he began to write the poetic hymns for which he would be revered. Many Wesleyan hymns focus on the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, the depravity of mankind, and humanity's personal accountability to God. His hymns have had a significant influence not only on Methodism, but on modern theology as a whole. “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” was written in 1744 while Wesley was meditating on Haggai 2:7. He was particularly troubled by the plight of orphans and the great class divide in Great Britain. Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, used the hymn in his meetings, making it popular in England and around the world.
About the Performers:
Chris Tomlin (b. 1972) has written and recorded many popular worship songs such as “How Great is Our God,” “Holy is the Lord,” and “Indescribable,” since the release of his first album in 1995. He has won the Dove Male Vocalist of the Year Award three years in a row and a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2012. Tomlin leads worship at many Passion events, and is currently a worship leader at Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia. His album Burning Lights (2013) debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 list – only the fourth Christian album to ever do so.
www.christomlin.com
A worship leader for many years, Christy Nockels (b.1973) knows how music can usher people into the presence of God in powerful ways. The daughter of a pastor, who was born in Fort Worth, Texas and raised in Oklahoma, Christy grew up singing in church. In 1993 she met her husband, Nathan, and they went on to record an independent record with fellow worship leader Charlie Hall under the name Sons & Daughters. Christy’s voice gained a national platform when she and Nathan formed the duo Watermark, recording four acclaimed albums before that musical season ended, paving the way for Christy’s solo career. Nockels released her acclaimed solo debut, Life Light Up and spent much of the next two years touring with musician and singer Chris Tomlin. On her newest album, Let It Be Jesus, Christy’s prayer is to further explore Biblical truths that elevate worship and bind Christians closer to the Creator.
https://christynockels.com
About the Poet:
Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) was a Victorian poet who is known for her simple, lyrical work. She published poems in the feminist periodicals The English Woman’s Journal and Victoria Magazine, and in various anthologies. Christina Rossetti has often been called the greatest Victorian woman poet. Today her poetry is regarded as some of the most beautiful and innovative of the period.