April 10: Blessed is He
♫ Music:
WEEK SEVEN INTRODUCTION
HOLY WEEK
TITLE: THE CROSS OF CHRIST
April 10–April 16
In stark contrast to Christ’s celebratory entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Holy Week is a profound week of somber reflection, deep meditation, and unfathomable wonder at the mighty things that God has done for his most beloved human race. Christ, the perfect Son of God and the perfect human being, gave himself up voluntarily as the spotless lamb for the sins of the world. His offering was unique because he was not bound by mortality the way we are. He ascended the cross in glory, “trampling down death by death,” achieving the work God called him to accomplish—the redemption of humankind. Christ showed himself to be God by dying in self-sacrificial love for us.
The Psalms paint a poignant portrait of the suffering Savior. On the road to Emmaus following Christ’s resurrection, he made reference to the Psalms: “All things must be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me” (Luke 24:44). Psalms of the passion detail the pain Christ endured with poetic beauty. We look at five psalms over the next seven days. Read these psalms as if Jesus was praying them.
Monday’s reading, Psalm 129, describes the scourging of Christ. In Psalm 69 (Tuesday’s reading), the “Man of Sorrows” details his approaching passion in terms of a flood into which he must be baptized.
Psalm 22 is the Messiah’s hymn of death. According to Rev. Patrick Reardon, Psalm 22 (Wednesday–Friday) is “par excellence the canticle of the Lord’s suffering and death.” In Matthew and Mark, Jesus prays the opening lines of Psalm 22 as he hangs on the cross. In the Gospel of Luke, the last words of Christ on the cross come from Psalm 31.
On Holy Saturday we explore the beloved 23rd Psalm in the context of Christ’s burial. Author Nancy Bentz refers to Psalm 23 as “Jesus Christ’s Burial Song.” She writes, “As we humbly and obediently identify with Him even in the place of burial, our old man is consumed. The very ashes of our sacrifice are removed as our head is anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit. Then we too may sing with Him that our cup fills and runs over. What a beautiful benediction to the burial song of the Anointed One.”
Day 40 - Sunday, April 10
PALM SUNDAY
Title: BLESSED IS HE
Scripture: Psalm 118: 26; 104:1
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
O house of Israel, bless the Lord;
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord;
O house of Levi, bless the Lord;
You who revere the Lord, bless the Lord.
Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
Poetry:
Promise
by Georgia Douglas Johnson
Through the moil and the gloom they have issued
To the steps of the upwinding hill,
Where the sweet, dulcet pipes of tomorrow
In their preluding rhapsodies trill.
With a thud comes a stir in the bosom,
As there steals on the sight from afar,
Through a break of a cloud’s coiling shadow
The gleam of a bright morning star!
PRAISE EMANATING FROM HOPE
Each year as Holy Week approaches in Antigua, Guatemala, the city fills with tourists and others who have come from around the world to see the procesiones. During the Lenten season, and more frequently during Holy Week, the Catholic churches in the city take turns leading a procesión through the city streets. Together, men carry a heavy object on their shoulders with statues of Jesus, Mary, and the disciples depicting biblical scenes associated with Holy Week. As a procesión passes by, people crowd the sidewalks as instruments play solemn music and as clouds of incense fill the air. City residents participate in procesiones by spending hours planning and creating beautiful alfrombras on the street in front of their houses. These works of art showcase biblical imagery using colorful sawdust and flower petals.
The procesiones of Holy Week contrast with the procesión of Easter Sunday. On Easter Sunday morning, the streets of Antigua are quiet and desolate, tourists and residents alike tired out from the events of the week. There is an exception though. The patients of el Hospital Hermano Pedro have their own procesión. Many of these patients are long-term residents of the hospital, their physical condition such that they are unable to be cared for by their families at home. In stark contrast to the solemn procesiones of Holy Week, this procesión is a celebratory event. Dressed in white, and accompanied by joyful music, the patients make their way down the uneven cobblestone streets, pushed in wheelchairs by nurses and volunteers. While the city is sleeping, it is this vulnerable, and frankly, marginalized group of worshippers that celebrates and proclaims the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the artwork, Guatemala Procession by Betty Laduke and the poem, “Promise” by Georgia Douglas Johnson, there is a sense of hope in the midst of difficult circumstances. In fact, both pieces represent communities familiar with suffering. In the scripture readings from Psalms 118:26 and 104:1, the psalmist calls on the house of Israel, its spiritual leaders, and all who revere the Lord to bless the Lord. The words of the psalmist, and the imagery of Laduke’s Guatemala Procession, remind us of the words shouted by the crowds that welcomed Jesus as he rode on a donkey into Jerusalem the week he would be crucified. “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:9-10). In Hebrew, Hosanna means, “Save!,” which was also used as a form of praise (Life Application Study Bible). The crowds were expressing praise; praise emanating from their hope for salvation. But, what kind of salvation were the crowds hoping for? Biblical scholars believe that the crowds expected Jesus to lead a political movement that would overthrow the oppressive Roman rule and restore the political authority of Israel. However, we know how the story goes. Later that week, as Jesus stood on trial under Pontius Pilate, and was sentenced as a criminal to be crucified, the shouts of praise and blessing that had welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, converted into shouts of anger and condemnation.
As we contemplate the sacredness of the Lenten season, let us reflect on where our hope lies, and in whom our hope lies. May our praise emanate from hope in the One who is not far removed from the trials that plague us in this life. Let us place our hope in the One who himself experienced suffering, “so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14).
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus,
You are not a far off, impersonal god unconcerned and unfamiliar with our seasons of suffering, or the worries of our daily lives. Thank you for being a savior that cares about our physical and spiritual condition. Give us a spirit of humility as we rely on your Holy Spirit to cultivate hope within us. May this hope result in praise and honor to you, and a desire to share this hope with others. As we await your return, may we continue to put our hope in you, following you faithfully no matter our earthly circumstances.
Amen
Life Application Study Bible (1991). New International Version. Tyndale and Zondervan
Dr. Lindsey Huang
Program Director, Doctor of Intercultural Studies
Assistant Professor of Intercultural Studies
Cook School of Intercultural Studies
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.
About the Artwork:
Guatemala: Procession
Betty LaDuke
© 1978
Acrylic on canvas
68 x 72 in.
On Easter Sunday in the Mayan village of Chichicastenango in Guatemala, statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary, dressed in splendid velvet robes, are elevated on wooden platforms and carried out of the church. They are carried in opposite directions around the church, accompanied by processions of families singing and then praying at each of the cardinal directions until they meet again and reenter the church. Artist Betty LaDuke’s vibrant painting Guatemala: Procession has captured this annual joyful multicultural celebration. Christ appears on a donkey surrounded by masks worn by the Mayans who dance to honor him as well as celebrate their indigenous roots. They also dance a reenactment of the brutal Spanish invasion, with satirical masks representing conquistadores. Inside the church, candles are lit and prayers are offered. Local farmers bring their seedlings of corn, as well as chilis and frijoles, to the church altars to receive the Virgin's blessing.
https://cla.purdue.edu/academic/rueffschool/waaw/LaDuke/spirituality2.html
About the Artist:
Betty LaDuke (b. 1933) is an American artist and writer who gained an international reputation for her murals, paintings, and sketches. Her work explores socialist issues and life’s continuity—from images of America’s civil rights struggles to women’s struggles for survival in war-ridden and poverty-stricken areas. Other thematic elements in her work include animals, rituals, and celebrations, which LaDuke uses to illustrate similarities among geographically and traditionally disparate cultures. LaDuke received her education at Denver University, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and the Instituto Allende in Mexico. In 1963, she graduated from California State University in Los Angeles with a special secondary art teaching credential and a M.A. degree in printmaking. LaDuke taught at Southern Oregon University (SOU) from 1964 to 1996, and she was the university’s second woman art teacher. In an effort to raise the profile of women and international artists, she initiated “Women and Art” and “Art in the Third World” courses at the university. These themes were highlighted in her exhibitions, including one at Willamette University in 1977 titled Landscape: A Feminine Mythical View. LaDuke also published a series of books documenting the art of non-European women, including Companeros, Women, Art, and Social Change in Latin America (1985) and Africa: Women’s Art, Women’s Lives (1991). From 1975 to the 1980s, LaDuke devoted her research to exploring world art and documenting the experiences of women in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. She traveled extensively to develop a series of sketchbooks that formed the basis for her larger works and exhibitions. She received commissions to create murals such as the 100-foot-high sequence Dreaming Cows (2009) for Heifer International, whose mission is to end world hunger and poverty. She is the recipient of the Oregon Governor’s Award in the Arts (1993) and the National Art Education Association’s Ziegfield Award for distinguished international leadership (1996).
https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/laduke_betty_1933_/#.YbptChPML3Y
http://bettyladuke.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_LaDuke
About the Music:
“Hosanna” from the album Glory
Lyrics:
Hosanna! Hosanna!
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Hosanna! Hosanna!
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Blessed is He.
Blessed is He.
Praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed is He.
Blessed is He.
Praise the name of the Lord.
In the name of the Lord!
He comes in the name of the Lord!
In the name of the Lord!
He comes in the name of the Lord!
Glory and honor.
All glory to the name of the Lord!
Glory and honor.
All glory to the name of the Lord!
This may be the King.
Has Messiah come?
Hear the praises ring!
Could this be the one?
About the Performers:
California Baptist University Choir and Orchestra (CBU) conducted by Dr. Gary Bonner
The California Baptist University Choir and Orchestra are located in Riverside, California. The ensembles are composed of over 150 vocalists and instrumentalists who separately and together give approximately fifty concerts annually. The goal of the ensembles is to “use their gifts to worship and to lead others to worship.” The CBU Choir and Orchestra have recorded over seventeen albums.
https://music.calbaptist.edu/ensembles/uco/
Dr. Gary Bonner is an internationally recognized conductor and educator of conductors. In 2012, Dr. Bonner retired as founding dean of the School of Music at California Baptist University (CBU) in Riverside, California, after leading the School of Music through unprecedented growth in students, faculty, programs, and outreach and directing the 140-member University Choir and Orchestra (UCO). During his tenure at CBU, the UCO recorded sixteen CDs and one DVD. During Dr. Bonner’s twenty-three years at Azusa Pacific University (APU), he served as dean of the School of Music and director of the University Choir and Orchestra. Under his direction, the APU Choir performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the Disney Symphonic Spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl and performed and recorded with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Dr. Bonner completed more than forty recordings with the APU Choir during his fifteen years as their director. From 1991 through 1994 he conducted the 2,000 voices and orchestra of the Disneyland Candlelight Procession. He also worked for the Disney Corporation in selecting, preparing, and producing the voices for the summer 1993 Disney Symphonic Fantasy, which toured the United States and performed with major orchestras, including two weeks with the American Symphony at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Dr. Bonner is in great demand as a teacher of both choir directors and singers. He has trained over eight hundred conductors in his intensive weeklong conducting seminars and touched thousands in his weekend choir workshops which have been offered across the United States and Canada.
http://bonnermusic.net/bonners/
Composers:
Randy Vader and Jay Rouse
Randy Vader has enjoyed a brilliant and distinguished career spanning four decades. He is a best-selling composer and lyricist and Dove Award winning producer. Randy is the CEO of PraiseGathering Music and along with his wife, Carol (CFO), co-owns the company, one of the most respected in Christian music publishing. He and fellow composer Jay Rouse have created over fifty ground-breaking seasonal, patriotic, and general musicals and published over five hundred songs. In addition, he has recorded, produced and published over one thousand choral pieces under the PraiseGathering, Gaither Music, Adoration, and Alpha Praise imprints. He has been a part of the Gaither Music family for more than thirty years and with Bill Gaither remains the creative producer for the world-renowned Gaither Music catalog. Vader is well known for his commitment to keep the legacy of great hymns foundational in the music of the church, while embracing the inspired, new music God is gifting the Body of Christ with around the world.
http://www.praisegathering.com/randyvader
https://blogs.jwpepper.com/randy-vader-choirs-doing-more-than-just-singing/
Jay Rouse is one of the premier choral arrangers in Christian music. He has over three hundred and fifty compositions and arrangements published, including over thirty major sacred choral works; fifty best-selling a cappella arrangements; a highly recognized hymn series for choir or piano and solo instrument entitled Piano Plus; and a number of best-selling solo piano books and recordings. Mr. Rouse is a Dove Award winning producer and has logged many hours on the road traveling in the music ministry. He spent over ten years as musical director and accompanist for singer Sandi Patty. In addition to his work as a keyboard artist, composer, and arranger he has been the primary producer and conductor for all of the choral and instrumental publications from PraiseGathering Music Group and Gaither Music Company over the last two decades. Rouse continues to make a major impact on music for the church musician across the nation.
https://lorenz.com/composers-and-authors/meet-our-composers/jay-rouse
About the Poet:
Georgia Douglas Johnson (1880–1966) was an African American poet, playwright, and an important figure of the Harlem Renaissance. In 1896 she graduated from Atlanta University's Normal School, a teacher’s college, and subsequently taught school in Georgia. In 1902 she left her teaching career to pursue music, attending Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio. After studying at Oberlin, Johnson returned to Atlanta, where she became assistant principal in a public school. After marrying, she and her husband moved to Washington, DC, in 1910, where she began to write poems, short stories, songs, and plays; teach music; and perform as an organist at her church. Johnson published a total of four volumes of poetry, beginning with The Heart of a Woman. Her poems were published in several issues of The Crisis, the journal of the NAACP founded by W. E. B. Du Bois. In 1925 her husband died, and she was widowed at the age of forty-five. For years she struggled to support her family financially. In a gesture to her late husband's loyalty and political service, Republican President Calvin Coolidge appointed Johnson as the Commissioner of Conciliation, a political appointee position within the Department of Labor, but during the Democratic administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt she lost the position. Her literary success resulted in her becoming the first African American woman to get national notice for her poetry since Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. In 1962 she published her last poetry collection, Share My World, which reflected on love towards all people and the power of forgiveness. Throughout her life she wrote two hundred poems, twenty-eight plays, and thirty-one short stories. In 1965 Atlanta University presented her with an honorary doctorate of literature.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Douglas_Johnson
About the Devotion Author:
Dr. Lindsey Huang
Program Director, Doctor of Intercultural Studies
Assistant Professor of Intercultural Studies
Cook School of Intercultural Studies
Biola University
Lindsey Huang, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Doctor of Intercultural Studies at the Cook School of Intercultural Studies at Biola University. She has a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of North Texas and a M.A. in Biblical Studies from the Central American Theological Seminary (SETECA) in Guatemala City. She researches social factors that shape the experiences of religious cross-cultural workers, diverse work teams, and short-term missions.