April 16: The Magnificence of the Cross: The Reconciliation of All Things
♫ Music:
Day 43 - Wednesday, April 16
Title: The Magnificence of the Cross: The Reconciliation of All Things
Scripture: Colossians 1:13–14, 19–22 (NKJV)
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins….For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.
Poetry & Poet:
“Prayers for the Protection and Opening of the Heart”
by Ya’akov Hakohen trans. by Peter Cole
I
May the Name send its hidden radiance
to open the gates of deliverance
to His servants—and shine in their hearts,
which now are shut in silent darkness.
May the great King be moved
to act in perfection and righteousness—
to open the gates of wisdom for us
and waken the love of old, the love of ancient days.
ii
By the power of the hidden Name I-am-that-I-am,
and by the dew of Desire and Blessing, the dead will live again...
iii
I-am is the power of your Name in concealment,
and one who knows its mystery dwells in eternity’s instant.
Over the world, it pours forth abundance and favor,
and on it all worlds hang, like grapes in a cluster.
Send the dew of blessing, the dew of grace;
renew my dispensation, and grant me length of days.
Bring light to my eyes with your teaching, and let not the husks
that surround your hosts obstruct me.
May Heaven and Adam’s children judge me with mercy.
Sustain me with their strength and fortune—
but do not leave me in need of the gifts of men.
THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE CROSS: THE RECONCILIATION OF ALL THINGS
This may sound like the start of a ridiculously bad joke – the kind that ends with a groan worthy pun: what does a 1st Century tentmaker who studied under Gamaliel (a well- known Jewish law teacher), a 13th Century Jewish mystic, an early 20th Century preacher in Michigan, and a contemporary Ukrainian iconographer all have in common? While the setup prepares one to groan, the punch line is truly sublime: They all saw and expressed in their own way the profound need for reconciliation between the Creator and His creation.
The 13th Century Jewish mystic, Ya-Akov Hakohen, prayed that such a reconciliation would be initiated by the Great I AM. The 1st Century tentmaker, Paul, identified how the Great I AM did so: Christ’s blood on the cross. The utter magnificence of the cross in reconciling Creator to creation is illustrated visually by Icon artist Iryna Solonynka, and musically by hymn writer George Bennard.
Perhaps the greatest truths are the simplest put. To quote the most memorable and shortest homily I’ve ever heard at a Good Friday Service: “The cross changed everything (pause for quiet reflection)...The cross changed everything (pause for quiet reflection)...The cross changed everything.” And really, what more needs to be said? With His blood on the cross Christ changed everything as He reconciled all things to Himself–––things on heaven and things on earth–––everything. The Great I AM both initiated and accomplished reconciliation.
Reconciliation –– perhaps one of the sweetest words in the English language. We were created for relationship, and much of our distress is when we have relational schisms with family members, friends, even with ourselves, and most importantly with God. With Christ’s blood on the cross–––He reconciled all things–––including that which causes us the deepest, most personal relational grief.
A prominent image of my childhood in northern rural Michigan was a large white cross on the road to our nearest interstate highway. Emblazoned on that 12-foot-high cross were the words “The Old Rugged Cross, Home of George Bennard, Composer of This Beloved Hymn.” As a child and adolescent, I wasn’t much impressed by the hymn tune, but then again, before writing this devotional, I had never heard it sung like it was as part of The Easter Project––The Spirituals (today’s music). Now that I have heard it sung this way, my heart cries even more to…
1. Cherish it: Christ’s blood on it made our reconciliation possible.
2. Cling to it: Christ’s blood on it makes our sanctification possible.
3. Exchange it one day for a crown: Christ’s blood on it gives us hope for a future, one reconciled with Him who made us and
in whom we have our being (Hebrews 2:10).
The cross changed everything. It is magnificent.
Prayer:
Grant, O Lord, that in your wounds I may find my safety, in your stripes my cure, in your pain my peace, in your Cross my victory, in your Resurrection my triumph, and a crown of righteousness in the glories of your eternal kingdom.
–––Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) English writer and Anglican bishop
Dr. Nancy Crawford
Associate Professor of Psychology
Director of Clinical Training
Rosemead School of Psychology
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 Art:
Elevation of the Holy Cross
Iryna Solonynka
2023
Egg tempera and gilding on gessoed wood panel
Private Collection
The Elevation of the Holy Cross is one of the great feasts of the Orthodox Church. During religious service on the feast day, a cross decorated with flowers is brought into the middle of the church by a procession, accompanied by candles and incense. The priest elevates the cross in four cardinal directions, each time repeating a benediction. The congregation responds with the Kýrie, eléison—”Lord, have mercy.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevation_of_the_Holy_Cross
About the Artist:
Iryna Solonynka is a contemporary Ukrainian iconographer and graduate of the Lviv National Academy of Arts (2013–2019), where she completed both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sacred art. A participant of creative life in Lviv and international competitions, she explains her work: “I believe that the icon should evolve and be as modern as contemporary people….I am constantly searching for new forms and meanings to express God's love. The floral motifs that dominate most of my pieces are essential in depicting joy, paradise, happiness, and warmth. They represent a heavenly place, not an earthly one.”
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SacredArtSolonynka
About the Music: “Calvary Medley” from The Easter Project, Calvary
Lyrics:
Calvary, Calvary,
Calvary, Calvary,
Calvary, Calvary,
Surely he died on Calvary.
Surely he died on Calvary.
Surely he died on Calvary.
On a hill, far away stood an old rugged cross.
The emblem of suffering and shame.
But I love that old cross where the dearest and best.
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross.
Where my trophies at last I lay down.
I will cling to the old rugged cross.
And will exchange it someday for a crown.
Messiah, Messiah.
Jesus, my Saviour.
Messiah, Messiah.
Jesus, my Saviour.
Messiah, Messiah.
King of Heaven and Earth
[Alleluia]
About the Composer: Traditional African-American Spiritual
A spiritual is a type of religious folk song that is most closely associated with the enslavement of African people in the American South. The songs proliferated in the last few decades of the eighteenth century leading up to the abolishment of legalized slavery in the 1860s. The African American spiritual constitutes one of the largest and most significant forms of American folk song. The term "spiritual" is derived from the King James Bible translation of Ephesians 5:19: "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." The form has its roots in the informal gatherings of African slaves in "praise houses'' and outdoor meetings called "camp meetings" in the eighteenth century. The African population in the American colonies had initially been introduced to Christianity in the seventeenth century. Uptake of the religion was relatively slow at first, but the slave population was engaged with biblical stories containing parallels to their own lives and they created spirituals that retold narratives about biblical figures like Daniel and Moses. As Africanized Christianity took hold of the slave population, spirituals served as a way to express the community's new faith, as well as its sorrows and hopes. Spirituals are typically sung in a call-and-response form, with a leader improvising a line of text and a chorus of singers providing a solid refrain in unison. Many spirituals, known as "sorrow songs," are intense, slow, and melancholic. Songs like "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" describe the slaves' struggles and identification with the suffering of Jesus Christ. Other spirituals known as "jubilees" or "camp meeting songs," are fast, rhythmic, joyful, and often syncopated.
https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200197495/
About the Composer:
George Bennard (1873–1958) was an American hymn composer and preacher. He is best known for composing the famous hymn "The Old Rugged Cross." After marrying, Bennard became active in the Salvation Army and preached throughout the United States and Canada. He was ordained as a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He wrote “The Old Rugged Cross” at Albion College, in Albion, Michigan. Published in 1915, the song was popularized during Billy Sunday evangelistic campaigns.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bennard
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Rugged_Cross
About the Performers: The Spirituals featuring Jason Nicholson-Porter (vocalist)
The Spirituals were formed in October 2020 as a creative response to the murder and injustice of George Floyd. Music artist and creative director Junior Garr began by reimagining spiritual anthems to commemorate Black history, music, and culture along with arranger/conductor Marsha Morrison. Their mission was to provide an expressive outlet that resonated with the global outcry against injustice. Collaborating with TBNUK, the now viral Black History Project was created. This project showcased their talents and musical story with televised performances filmed at notable venues like Lambeth Palace and the iconic St. Paul's Cathedral. Since its inception during the pandemic, the Spirituals have released three EPs and have won several prestigious awards, such as Choir of the Year from Step FWD Awards, the Premier Gospel Awards, and The GX Awards. Supported by international charity Christian Aid in 2023, the Spirituals’ first national tour began in churches across the UK.
Jason Nicholson-Porter hails from the sunny island of Jamaica and is one of the latest and brightest talents to emerge within the UK gospel music world. Jason is a dynamic singer-songwriter whose passion, energy, and love for praise and worship resonates through his live and recorded performances. Jason was exposed to music and singing from an early age, and the major influence in Jason’s introduction to music and the subsequent development of his talents were his musical parents.
https://soundcloud.com/jason-nicholson-porter#:~:text=Jason%20Nicholson%2DPorter%20hails%20from,is%20a%20dynamic%20singer%2Dsongwriter%20%E2%80%A6
About the Poetry and Poet: Ya’akov Hakohen trans. by Peter Cole
Ya’akov Hakohen belonged to a circle of Jewish mystics that was active in mid-thirteenth century Castile and Provence.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/people/yaakov-hakohen
About the Devotion Writer:
Dr. Nancy Crawford
Associate Professor of Psychology
Director of Clinical Training
Rosemead School of Psychology
Biola University
Nancy Crawford, Psy.D., serves as the Director of Clinical Training at Rosemead, and, as a former missionary, is involved whenever possible in providing care to missionaries and their families. She is an avid morning walker always on the lookout for a bird species she has not seen before.