January 1: In Christ All Will Be Made Alive
♫ Music:
Day 34 - Friday, January 1
NEW YEAR’S DAY
Title: IN CHRIST ALL WILL BE MADE ALIVE
Scripture: I Corinthians 15:20-22
For now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Poetry:
As Kingfishers Catch Fire
by Gerard Manley Hopkins
As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung
bell's
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
Selves — goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,
Crying Whát I dó is me: for that I came.
I say móre: the just man justices;
Keeps grace: thát keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is —
Chríst — for Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men's faces.
NEW YEAR, NEW LIFE
Last night the year 2020 ended. And maybe you say "good riddance," and hope for a better year starting today. For many of us the year 2020 was one of the most challenging years of our lives. It's rare for the whole world to experience this kind of hardship all at once. Some have lost friends and family; others have lost income. We have all lost the "normal world," the way things were in the before-time.
But even with this chaos, even in death, are planted the seeds of new life. As our passage says, even as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. Take a close look at our image for today. At first glance, you see the chaos, the jumble of colors. But as you look closer, you realize there's structure and meaning. You can see the faint outlines of the cross. The dice remind me of randomness; the green leaves of new life. You can see the thorns, but the cross is empty. Jesus has risen.
Hear the melancholy of the opening line of today's musical selection from Handel's Messiah: "Since by man came death," which is then followed by the triumphant line: "By man came also the resurrection of the dead." During 2020, many of us experienced loss, change, grief, despair, or worry. But today is a new day, starting a new year. God can bring new life to this new year.
As today's song by Maverick City Music says "I've got beauty for ashes; And I've got joy for mourning; And I've got praise for heaviness." Praise God for the beauty and joy He will bring.
From eternity past, God knew what was coming your way in 2020. He knows all of our circumstances. Even more, He designs our circumstances to maximize our sanctification and to maximize His glory in our lives. God is the perfect Teacher. He knows which lessons we need to learn. We look forward to a new year and whether 2021 brings more sorrow or a turning point to new hope, we know for sure that God has everything under control. He knows the future. He knew about 2020. He knows what 2021 will bring. He can bring new life out of death. It's a new year; God brings new life.
Reflection Question:
What ashes, what heaviness of 2020 can I surrender for the beauty and the resurrection life that Jesus brings?
Prayer at the New Year:
O Immortal Lord God, who inhabitest eternity, and hast brought us, thine unworthy servants, to the beginning of another year: Pardon, we most humbly beseech thee, our transgressions in the past, and graciously abide with us all the days, of our life; guard and direct us in all trials and temptations, that by thy blessing we may grow in grace as we grow in years, and at the last may finish our course with joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
-----From the Scottish Book of Common Prayer (1662):
Matthew Weathers
Applied Instructional Technology Administrator
Office of Digital Learning
Adjunct Lecturer/Mathematics and Business
Biola University
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
The Glory of the Cross
Sawai Chinnawong
2003
Acrylic on canvas
About the Artwork:
Sawai Chinnawong is a Christian artist in Thailand, known for depicting scenes from Scripture influenced by the traditional art of Central Thailand. The Glory of the Cross is a vibrant and colorful life-affirming celebration of the victory of the cross. In this multi-layered symbolic composition, many elements reflecting the story of redemption are incorporated, including the following: a crown of thorns in the middle, a palm branch near the bottom right, a fish to the left of that, dice to the left of the fish, and a cluster of grapes to the left of the dice. The sign ‘INRI’ is near the top, and a partially obscured chi rho symbol is found in the center of the crown of thorns. The red fish and dice may be superimposed on the rear part of a donkey, beside the green palm branch. Above the palm branch there looks to be a purple water pot and up and left of that is a definite butterfly. The entire composition joyfully celebrates Christ's victory over death.
About the Artist:
Sawai Chinnawong (b. 1959) is a Thai artist who depicts biblical narratives. It was during his art studies in Bangkok that Chinnawong became a Christian. After completing his art studies, he studied at the McGilvary Faculty of Theology at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Sawai says, “My work represents influences from many styles. All of my art is Gospel-based and inspired. I believe Jesus Christ is present in every culture, and I have chosen to celebrate his presence in our lives through Thai traditional cultural forms. I was moved to create art depicting Jesus’ life and message and as I created the influence of my cultural background naturally flowed through to produce a traditional Thai look. My belief is that Jesus did not choose just one people to hear his Word, but chose to make his home in every human heart. And just as his Word may be spoken in every language, so the visual message can be shared in the beauty of the many styles of artistry around the world.”
http://www.artway.eu/content.php?id=959&action=show&lang=en
http://globalworship.tumblr.com/post/136086355015/christmas-story-art-from-thailand
https://www.omsc.org/sawai-chinnawong
Music #1:
“Love Is A Miracle“ from the album Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 1
Lyrics:
I was down in the valley
Before love came and grabbed me
Never thought I'd see the sun again
Without no hesitation
You became my resurrection
All the light that came shining in
Now I've got beauty for ashes
And I've got joy for mourning
And I've got praise for heavinessLove is a miracle
And I've got beauty for ashes
And I've got joy for mourning
And I've got praise for heaviness
Love is a miracle
This is more than religion
Glad I've made my decision
Hope reversed the curse I was walking in, yeah
Now I'm dancing out my grave clothes
Where You lead me I will follow
You gave a light that the darkness can't comprehend
I remember the voice that called me
I remember when my heart said yes
I will never forget that morning
You were singing over me
You were singing over me like
You were singing over me
Oh, You were singing over me
I remember that moment You called my name
You pulled me out of miry clay
Now I've got mercies in the morning
And I've got rivers overflowing
And I've got freedom and I'm dancing
Love is a miracle
You're a miracle working God
No one is too far
You said I'm not too far away
It was a miracle,
It was a miracle You did in my heart
Took me from death, You took me from death to life
Thank You for a yes, Lord
Called me out and You said, "That one is Mine"
You set me apart for Your purpose
We thank You, Lord
You set me apart for a purpose
When the world said no, You said yes
When the world said no, You said yes
When the world said no, You said yes
When they pushed me to the side, You said yes
When they pushed me to the side, oh You said yes
You said yes
When the world said no
You said yes
Even when I said no
You said yes
Performers:
Maverick City Music, Bri Babineaux and Majesty Rose
Maverick City started with a dream to foster a community of creatives that have been pushed to the margins of church music.
https://www.maverickcitymusic.com/about
Briana Babineaux (b. 1994), who goes by the stage name Bri, is an American urban contemporary gospel artist and musician. Her music career started in 2014 when she posted videos of her singing on her YouTube channel. Subsequently, she started professionally recording in 2015 with her first live album, Keys to My Heart, which was released in 2016. She was raised by her mother and her step-father who is a pastor in Lafayette, Louisiana. Babineaux is currently studying criminal justice at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bri_(Briana_Babineaux).
Majesty Rose (b.1992) is a female singer from North Carolina. She finished in ninth place on the thirteenth season of American Idol and released the EP, Bloom, in 2016. Rose began writing at age ten and taught herself the acoustic guitar at seventeen. Despite her skills as a singer and guitarist, she has never taken formal lessons. Rose is known in her community for serving at multiple churches and volunteering at nursing homes and community outreach projects.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majesty_Rose
Composers/Lyricists:
Dante Bowe, Kierre Bjorn Lindsay and Majesty Rose
Dante Bowe joined the Bethel Music Collective as a worship leader and songwriter in 2019 and can be seen leading worship at Bethel Church and on tour with the Collective at events like the Heaven Come Conference and WorshipU on Campus. When leading worship Dante enjoys watching God show up, and longs for people to encounter the goodness of the Father. Dante released his first single, “Potter and Friend,” in 2017 as a preview to his album Son of a Father which debuted a few months later. Dante also appears on Maverick City Volumes I & II. Dante believes that raising the level of authenticity in worship will cause cultures, generations, and denominations to unite in a worship movement by merging gaps and removing all boundaries. Dante lives in Columbus, Georgia, where he is a worship pastor at Addereth Church and a singer/songwriter with Maverick City Music.
https://bethelmusic.com/artists/dante-bowe/
Kierre Bjorn Lindsay is a worship leader who is passionate about seeing any walls and barriers that separate the body of Christ torn down, be it denomination, race, age, or socio-economic class. He has served on staff at Daystar Church as the Next Generation Worship Director since 2013. Kierre is married to Marika Lindsay and together they are missionaries who travel domestically and internationally to serve and spread the message of Jesus Christ. He has been in numerous stage shows and has performed off-Broadway in “Soul on Fire” as well as a one night only showing of “Soul on Fire” at the Kennedy Center. Kierre studied music business/classical voice at Winston Salem State University. In 2017, he joined United Pursuit as a vocalist. Kierre is making plans to release original music soon, but wholly enjoys serving in the local church and helping cultivate the Next Generation.
https://commonhymnal.com/kierre-bjorn-lindsay
Music #2:
Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 3: 2. Since By Man Came Death
Lyrics:
For now is Christ risen from the dead,
the first fruits of them that slept.
since by man came death,
by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Messiah Performers/Musicians/Lyricists/Composer:
Unless otherwise noted, all Messiah performances are by Margaret Marshall, Catherine Robbin, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, Robert Hale, Charles Brett, Saul Quirke, the English Baroque Soloists, and the Monteverdi Choir conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Biographical information for the performers and musicians can be found by clicking here.
About the Poet:
Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889) is regarded as one the Victorian era’s greatest poets. He was raised in a prosperous and artistic family. He attended Balliol College, Oxford, where he studied Classics. In 1867 he entered a Jesuit monastery near London. At that time, he vowed to “write no more...unless it were by the wish of my superiors.” Hopkins burned all of the poetry he had written and would not write poems again until 1875. He spent nine years in training at various Jesuit houses throughout England. He was ordained in 1877, and for the next seven years he carried out his duties of teaching and preaching in London, Oxford, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Stonyhurst. In 1875, Hopkins was deeply moved by a newspaper account of a German ship, the Deutschland, wrecked during a storm at the mouth of the Thames River and he began to write again. Although his poems were never published during his lifetime, his friend and poet Robert Bridges edited a volume of Hopkins’s works entitled Poems, which first appeared in 1918.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/gerard-manley-hopkins
About the Devotion Author:
Matthew Weathers
Applied Instructional Technology Administrator
Office of Digital Learning
Adjunct Lecturer/Mathematics and Business
Biola University
Matthew Weathers has a BS in Math and Computer Science from Biola and an MA in Computer Science from USC. Matthew is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Math and Business Departments. Before coming to Biola, Matthew worked as a computer programmer and he continues to work on small website projects. He is the Applied Instructional Technology Administrator for the Office of Digital Learning and Program Development, and he helps faculty learn how to make the best use of technology. His interests include making information more usable and user-friendly, website development, and finding ways to help students be more engaged in the learning process. Matthew is a board member of Veritas Life Center, a non-profit committed to the promotion of Christianity as a wisdom and knowledge tradition relevant for a life worth living.