Blessed Redeemer

Up Calvary’s mountain, one dreadful morn,
Walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn;
Facing for sinners death on the cross,
That He might save them from endless loss.

Blessèd Redeemer! Precious Redeemer!
Seems now I see Him on Calvary’s tree;
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading,
Blind and unheeding—dying for me!

“Father forgive them!” thus did He pray,
E’en while His lifeblood flowed fast away;
Praying for sinners while in such woe
No one but Jesus ever loved so.

Blessèd Redeemer! Precious Redeemer!
Seems now I see Him on Calvary’s tree;
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading,
Blind and unheeding—dying for me!

O how I love Him, Savior and Friend,
How can my praises ever find end!
Through years unnumbered on Heaven’s shore,
My tongue shall praise Him forevermore.

Blessèd Redeemer! Precious Redeemer!
Seems now I see Him on Calvary’s tree;
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading,
Blind and unheeding—dying for me!

By Avis M. Christ­ian­sen and Harry D. Loes, AD 1920

Spiritual by Johnny Cash (1996)

Jesus I don't wanna die alone
Jesus, oh Jesus, I don't wanna die alone
My love wasn't true, now all I have is you
Jesus, oh Jesus, I don't wanna die alone

Jesus if you hear my last breath
Don't leave me here, left to die a lonely death
I know I have sinned but Lord I'm suffering
Jesus Oh Jesus if you hear my last breath

Jesus I don't wanna die alone
Jesus, oh Jesus, I don't wanna die alone
My love wasn't true Now all I have is you
Jesus, oh Jesus, I don't wanna die alone

Jesus
Jesus
All my troubles, all my pain
Will leave me once again

All my troubles, all my pain
It's gonna leave me once again

All my troubles, all my pain
It's gonna leave me once again
Gonna leave me once again

All My Tears

When I go, don't cry for me
In my Father's arms I'll be
The wounds this world left on my soul
Will all be healed and I'll be whole.
Sun and moon will be replaced
With the light of Jesus' face
And I will not be ashamed
For my Savior knows my name.

It don't matter where you bury me,
I'll be home and I'll be free.
It don't matter where I lay,
All my tears be washed away.

Gold and silver blind the eye
Temporary riches lie
Come and eat from heaven's store,
Come and drink, and thirst no more

It don't matter where you bury me
I'll be home and I'll be free
It don't matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away

So, weep not for me my friends,
When my time below does end
For my life belongs to Him
Who will raise the dead again.

It don't matter where you bury me,
I'll be home and I'll be free.
It don't matter where I lay,
All my tears be washed away.

Words and music by Julie Miller

St. Patrick's Day

Excerpts from St. Patrick's letter to the soldiers of Coroticus (c. 450 AD):

I am Patrick, yes a sinner and indeed untaught; yet I am established here in Ireland where I profess myself bishop. I am certain in my heart that "all that I am," I have received from God. So I live among barbarous tribes, a stranger and exile for the love of God. He himself testifies that this is so. I never would have wanted these harsh words to spill from my mouth; I am not in the habit of speaking so sharply. Yet now I am driven by the zeal of God, Christ's truth has aroused me. I speak out too for love of my neighbors who are my only sons; for them I gave up my home country, my parents and even pushing my own life to the brink of death. If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God so as to teach these peoples; even though some of them still look down on me.

Could I have come to Ireland without thought of God, merely in my own interest? Who was it made me come? For here "I am a prisoner of the Spirit" so that I may not see any of my family. Can it be out of the kindness of my heart that I carry out such a labor of mercy on a people who once captured me when they wrecked my father's house and carried off his servants? For by descent I was a freeman, born of a decurion father; yet I have sold this nobility of mine, I am not ashamed, nor do I regret that it might have meant some advantage to others. In short, I am a slave in Christ to this faraway people for the indescribable glory of "everlasting life which is in Jesus Christ our Lord."

Isaiah 53 (NIV)

1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

11 After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied ;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

God Loves Hillary Clinton

Most people who know me know how I feel about Hillary Clinton. I'm quite open about my opinions when it comes to that subject. For those who don't know me: the thought of Hillary Clinton being elected President of the United States fills me with dread.

I would not be surprised if she wins both the Democratic nomination and the Presidential election. There are a number of factors in her favor, none of which have anything to do with her worthiness as a candidate: 8 years of a Republican president, the war in Iraq, the American economy, the possibility of America's first female president, John McCain as the Republican candidate...et cetera. To most Americans, the 2008 election can be seen as an opportunity for change, and with McCain stating that he will stay the course that George Bush has set...well, he's pretty much giving the Democrats the election. The margins were both too close in 2000 and 2004 to think that Ohio is going to save the Republicans this year.

I hope I'm wrong about this, I really do. Only time will tell. One thing I can say today that I know I'm wrong about, though, is my opinion of Hillary Clinton as a person. I don't like to say that I "hate" anyone. To me, "I hate Hillary" - or anybody else, for that matter - is a very strong statement to make. But I know that if I do feel hatred in my heart towards another human being , it's probably directed at Hillary. And I couldn't be any more wrong for feeling that way.

I recently read an article in Christianity Today titled "Hating Hillary". When I first saw the link, I thought, "gee, I bet that's going to say that it's wrong to hate her". I wasn't going to read it, and why should I? Shouldn't I despise her for all that she's done, all that she believes, and all she's planning to do to the United States of America? She's a Liberal and a Democrat! She loves gay people! Her husband's a bum! At that point, I can only credit the Holy Spirit for prompting me to click the link and read the article. And I am very glad that He did.

After reading the article, it became quite clear to me that I have absolutely no justification in feeling hatred towards Hillary Clinton. Who made Hillary Clinton? My God. Who cares more than anyone else about Hillary Clinton? My God. Who died on the cross for Hillary Clinton? My Jesus. So who am I to hate Hillary Clinton? I am wrong. Pure and simple, I am wrong. God loves Hillary Clinton, just like He loves me. Hillary is a child of God, just as I am His child. Jesus shed his blood on the cross for Hillary's sins, just as He did for my sins. Does Hillary belive in God? Does she love God? Does she pray to God? I don't know any of those answers. Only God and Hillary know.

So I've changed my opinion of Hillary. Simple as that. God commands us to "love your neighbor as yourself," and Jesus reiterated that when questioned by the Pharisees about the greatest of God's Commandments. Though I've known that in my head as long as I've been a Christian, I realize that I have not known that in my heart. I now see that I am never justified for feeling hatred towards another person, no matter their actions or beliefs. God does not allow for any exceptions.

I don't know if I can say that I love Hillary Clinton, but I'm trying. I know that God loves her. And that's why I don't hate Hillary.

my feeble prayer

My Redeemer and my Lord,
I beseech thee, I entreat thee,
Guide me in each act and word,
That hereafter I may meet thee,
Watching, waiting, hoping, yearning,
With my lamp well trimmed and burning!

Interceding
With these bleeding
Wounds upon thy hands and side,
For all who have lived and erred
Thou hast suffered, thou hast died,
Scourged, and mocked, and crucified,
And in the grave hast thou been buried!

If my feeble prayer can reach thee,
O my Saviour, I beseech thee,
Even as thou hast died for me,
More sincerely
Let me follow where thou leadest,
Let me, bleeding as thou bleedest,
Die, if dying I may give
Life to one who asks to live,
And more nearly,
Dying thus, resemble thee!

-from The Golden Legend by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)