April 5: The Presence of God
♫ Music:
WEEK SEVEN--HOLY WEEK
THAT I MAY KNOW HIM
April 5 - April 12
As we reflect on the Passion of Christ this week, we acknowledge the wisdom of the early church in annually reliving and fully entering into the narrative of Christ’s sacrifice. The story of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection is at the very heart of the Gospel. Every year Christians around the world wholeheartedly enter into the powerful sequence of Holy Week services, spanning Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Christ’s passion becomes real as each portion of the unfolding drama is recalled. Some of the most meaningful and memorable worship experiences take place during this week as believers imagine (through the eyes of first century witnesses) what it must have been like to be there. According to the ancient writings of the 4th century female pilgrim Egeria, “Great Week” rituals (very similar to observances that occur today) were in place when she travelled to the Holy Land. Holy Week is a marvelous opportunity for us to draw closer to Christ with thankful hearts for His great sacrifice and victory over sin and death. Putting ourselves in the middle of the “greatest story ever told” strengthens our faith by drawing us closer to our Savior, compelling us to go ever deeper with him as we seek to love Him more.
Day 40 - Sunday, April 5
PALM SUNDAY
Hymn for Palm Sunday: Beholding in human form Him Who by His hand fashioned man, and understanding Him to be their Master, the children of the Hebrews hurried with boughs to do homage, crying: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. So likewise we offer You our hymn of praise, saying: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us!
Scripture: John 12: 12-18
On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.
Poetry:
The Convert
by G.K. Chesterton
After one moment when I bowed my head
And the whole world turned over and came upright,
And I came out where the old road shone white.
I walked the ways and heard what all men said,
Forests of tongues, like autumn leaves unshed,
Being not unlovable but strange and light;
Old riddles and new creeds, not in despite
But softly, as men smile about the dead
The sages have a hundred maps to give
That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree,
They rattle reason out through many a sieve
That stores the sand and lets the gold go free:
And all these things are less than dust to me
Because my name is Lazarus and I live.
THE PRESENCE OF GOD
The familiar rehearsing of the “Palm Sunday” events, as portrayed in the beautiful stained glass window, The Triumphal Entry, can lull us into trivializing this profound occasion which occurred only days before Christ’s death and resurrection. In order to comprehend the multi-sensory revelation of God’s fulfillment of his plan, it is necessary to consider the context. Chesterton’s poem alludes to this as Lazarus refutes his doubters by declaring “all these things are less than dust to me, Because my name is Lazarus and I live.” Truly, the declaration that “once I was dead, yet now I live” would quiet any nay-sayers. Interestingly, it was at the home of this same Lazarus that the story begins.
In the first verses of John 12, we learn that Jesus and his disciples had eaten a meal with Lazarus and his sisters in their Bethany home on the evening of the Sabbath. With astonishment we read that Mary, Lazarus’s contemplative sister, took a whole pound of costly spiced oil and anointed the feet of Jesus, filling the house with the fragrance. Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9 expand on this narrative, saying that Mary actually broke the expensive jar, pouring the oil over Christ’s head which continued to drip down to his feet. What was the significance of this overpowering fragrance that filled the house and covered Christ’s whole body?
Perhaps we can find a clue by understanding the three-part tradition of Havdalah that is celebrated at the closing of the Sabbath. The lighting of candles, the recitation of prayers and the overflowing of wine into a saucer is accompanied by the opening of the spice box. The aroma signified the holy presence of God that flows from the Sabbath into the rest of the week. It is certainly reasonable to assume that Mary knowingly altered this tradition. She broke the box and poured all the oil over Christ, saying, in effect, “We never need to invoke God’s presence again because the Holy Presence of God. . . Immanuel is sitting here.” That particular fragrance would be known by all Jews for what it signified. And, no doubt, it would still emanate from Christ the the next day as he rode the donkey into Jerusalem
We are told by neuroscientists that smell is the sense most strongly linked to our memory and our emotions. No wonder the people exploded into praise! They saw the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9 as Christ rode on the donkey; they heard the fulfillment of Psalm 118 in the singing of the Hosannas; and the smell would immediately evoke the memory of the presence of God. . . Immanuel. . . from Isaiah 7.
On this final Lenten Sunday, we are called to enter Christ’s triumphal procession and to spread the fragrance—the “sweet aroma of Christ” throughout the world (I Corinthians 2:14-15). The hosannas expressed on that road leading into Jerusalem still ring through the centuries, as declared in today’s Eighth Century hymn and in our churches this Sunday morning. Incredibly, God resides in us and wherever we go, we declare His presence by leaving this aroma of the Havdalah blessing. We have been chosen by God as His followers and disciples to shed abroad the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him, everywhere we go. What an awesome task.
(Note: Interpretation informed by the research of Don and Kathryn Mansfield; 1998.)
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly,
That my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
----John Henry Cardinal Newman (19th-Century Cardinal of Rome)
Dr. Dianne Collard
Alumna, Cook School of Intercultural Studies
Biola University
Founder/Director of ArtsCharlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
For more information about the artwork, music, poetry, and devotional writer selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab
To learn more about the themes of this year’s Lent Project, please go to:
https://ccca.biola.edu/lent/2020/#day-feb-25
About the Art:
Triumphal Entry in the Preparation Window
Charles Connick Studios of Boston, Massachusetts
1930
3’ w x 3’ 9” h
Stained glass window
Grace Cathedral
San Francisco, California
Permission given by the Grace Cathedral Archives
The stained glass medallion is from the Preparation Window, first of the four-window Passion series in the sanctuary of the Chapel of Grace, the main cathedral chapel, which was designed in 1930 by Charles Connick of Boston, Massachusetts. It depicts Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem preceding his arrest and crucifixion. Jesus is pictured facing directly forward like an icon, his hand raised in a gesture of blessing as children honor him by laying down robes to mark his path and by waving palm branches in joyful celebration. The inscription reads “Hosanna to the Son of David.” The borders feature gold and white pomegranates and green leaves, symbolizing sacrifice and abundance. Connick used colors symbolically; blues were used to symbolize wisdom and heaven, red for passion and the heart, gold for spiritual riches, white for purity, and green for spiritual growth. Charles Connick's window designs for the Chapel of Grace were inspired by the Passion Window in the central apse of Sainte-Chapelle (French for "Holy Chapel") in Paris. The color scheme of the Chapel of Grace windows echoes that of the Sainte-Chapelle windows, but Connick's personal creativity shines through in the crafting of these windows. He used up to thirteen lead thicknesses and several glass thicknesses, multiple glass color shades, glass plating to deepen color, even shading and molding of some pieces to conform to depicted forms. Surface treatment included trace and matte paint, enamel and some acid etching.
https://buffaloah.com/a/DCTNRY/stained/connick/connick.html
https://gracecathedral.org/
https://gracecathedral.org/stained-glass-windows/
About the Artist:
Charles Jay Connick (1875–1945) was a prominent American painter, muralist, and designer best known for his work in stained glass in the Gothic Revival style. He opened his stained glass studio in Boston in 1913. Connick's work is contained in many preeminent churches and chapels, including examples in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. Connick preferred to use clear "antique" glass, similar to that of the Middle Ages and praised this type of glass as "colored radiance, with the lustre, intensity, and baffling vibrant quality of dancing lights." Connick's studio continued to operate and remained a leading producer of stained glass until 1986. The studio produced some 15,000 windows in more than 5,000 churches and public buildings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Jay_Connick
About the Music:
“Palm Saunday: Gloria, laus et honor” from the album Victimae paschali laudes: The Passion and Resurrection of Christ in Gregorian Chant
The Lyrics:
Gloria, laus et honor
tibi sit, Rex Christe, Redemptor:
Cui puerile decus prompsit
Hosanna pium.
Israel es tu Rex, Davidis et
inclyta proles:
Nomine qui in Domini,
Rex benedicte, venis.
Coetus in excelsis te laudat
caelicus omnis,
Et mortalis homo, et cuncta
creata simul.
Plebs Hebraea tibi cum palmis
obvia venit:
Cum prece, voto, hymnis,
adsumus ecce tibi.
Hi tibi passuro solvebant
munia laudis:
Nos tibi regnanti pangimus
ecce melos
Hi placuere tibi, placeat
devotio nostra:
Rex bone, Rex clemens, cui
bona cuncta placent.
Lyrics Translation:
All glory, praise, and honor
to Thee, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet Hosannas ring.
Thou art the King of Israel,
Thou David's royal Son,
Who in the Lord's Name comest.
the King and blessed One.
The company of Angels
are praising Thee on high,
and mortal men and all things
created make reply.
The people of the Hebrews
with palms before Thee went;
our praise and prayer and anthems
before Thee we present.
To Thee before Thy Passion
they sang their hymns of praise;
to Thee now high exalted
our melody we raise.
Thou didst accept their praises,
accept the prayers we bring,
Who in all good delightest,
Thou good and gracious King.
About the Composer/Lyricist:
Theodulf of Orléans (c. 750-821) was a writer, poet and the Bishop of Orléans during the reign of Charlemagne and Louis the Pious. He was a key member of the Carolingian Renaissance and an important figure during the many reforms of the church under Charlemagne, as well as almost certainly the author of the Libri Carolini, "much the fullest statement of the Western attitude to representational art that has been left to us by the Middle Ages." He is mainly remembered for this and the survival of the private oratory or chapel made for his villa at Germigny-des-Prés, with a mosaic probably from about 806..."All Glory, Laud and Honour", is based on Matthew 21:1–11 and the occasion of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodulf_of_Orl%C3%A9ans
About the Performers:
The Monks of Quarr Abbey
The Abbey of Our Lady of Quarr is a monastery on the Isle of Wight, just off the south coast of England. It is home to a small group of Benedictine monks who strive to dedicate their lives to the glory of God and whose day is daily lives are characterised by prayer, work, and community life. The Gregorian Chant is used exclusively by the monks of the Quarr Abbey during their chapel services. Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (occasionally Greek). Gregorian chant was traditionally sung by choirs of men and boys in churches or by men and women of religious orders in their chapels. During the 20th century, Gregorian chants underwent a musicological and popular resurgence.
https://www.quarrabbey.org/site.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_chant
About the Poet:
G.K. Chesterton (1874–1936) was an English writer, philosopher, lay theologian, literary and art critic and one of the dominating figures of the London literary scene in the early twentieth century. He seemingly wrote about every topic, in every genre, from journalism to plays, poetry to crime novels. Most of Chesterton's literary output was nonfiction, including thousands of columns for various periodicals, but today he is best remembered for his mystery series about Father Brown, a Catholic priest and amateur detective. Much of Chesterton's work reflected his social concern. Using literary devices such as parable and allegory, he sought to bring about social changes that embodied his religious and political beliefs. Even some of those who disagree with him have recognized the wide appeal of such works as Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man. Chesterton routinely referred to himself as an "orthodox" Christian, and came to identify this position more and more with Catholicism, eventually converting to Catholicism from High Church Anglicanism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._K._Chesterton
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/g-k-chesterton
About the Devotion Writer:
Dr. Dianne Collard
Alumna, Cook School of Intercultural Studies
Biola University
Founder/Director of ArtsCharlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Dr. Dianne Collard received her MA and DMiss from the Cook School of Intercultural Studies at Biola University. She has served as a cross-cultural missionary for over thirty years. Currently, she is the Europe Ministries Director for Artists in Christian Testimony International and the Founder/Director of ArtsCharlotte in North Carolina. Dianne’s revised edition of her book, I Choose to Forgive: An Intimate Journey with God, chronicles her and her family’s journey of forgiveness and healing in the aftermath of her son’s murder. It has been published in sixteen languages and has been made into a short film entitled Abstraction produced by Makoto Fujimura and Paul Nethercott, filmed by Windrider Productions.
For more information: www.montage international.org