HYMN FOR PENTECOST 14 or HOLY CROSS DAY When I Survey
- Gracia Grindal
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Text: Isaac Watts (1674-1748). Tune: Lowell Mason (1792-1872)
Crucifixion to the World, by the Cross of Christ. Gal. vi. 14.
1. “When I survey the wond'rous Croƒs
On which the Prince of Glory dy'd,
My richest gain I count but Loss,
And pour Contempt on all my Pride.
2. ”Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the Death of Christ my God;
All the vain Things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his Blood,
3. "See from his Head, his Hands, his Feet,
Sorrow and Love flow mingled down!
Did e'er such Love and Sorrow meet,
Or Thorns compose so rich a Crown!
4. "[His dying Crimson, like a Robe,
Spreads o'er his Body on the Tree;
Then am I dead to all the Globe,
And all the Globe is dead to me.]
5. "Were the whole Realm of Nature mine,
That were a Present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my Soul, my Life, my All."
HEAR THE REJOICING IN HEAVEN
Text: Gracia Grindal Tune: James Clemens
Hear the rejoicing in heaven!
When those who are lost have been found.
Joy, they’re restored and forgiven,
R/Rejoice! Hear the gladness resound!
Rejoicing! Rejoicing! Hear the gladness resound!
Once a good shepherd went looking
To find a poor lamb at great cost.
One who left all her cooking
To search for a coin that was lost.
R/
When they recovered their treasures
And had what they’ lost once again,
Both shared their joy and great pleasure,
Rejoicing with family and friends.
R/
O what rejoicing in heaven
When sinners like us have been found
All of our sins are forgiven;
Joy for the grace that abounds!
R/
REFLECTION
Holy Cross Day is the day the church remembers when St. Helena, mother of Constantine, found a relic of the holy cross ca. 330 AD. On that spot Christians built the church of the Holy Sepulchre in 335 AD. While Luther was against venerating relics, and was somewhat troubled by this day, he went along with it because of what the relic pointed to: the cross where Christ won our salvation by defeating death, sin and the devil. So as Watts hymn points to the cross, it does so because there the great love of God and sorrow met in order to bring us salvation. While many hymns focus on the cross—from the Old Rugged Cross to the hymn by Fortunatus on the glorious banners flying in the procession bringing the relic to Poitiers—Isaac Watts’ When I Survey the Wondrous Cross probably wins pride of place as the most popular and well known hymn on the topic.
Jesus, in the reading for this day, tells Nicodemus how the Son of Man must be lifted up as the serpent in the wilderness had been, shows us the power of God to bring joy through such an ugly thing—both the serpent and the despised and rejected Savior. Under the opposite sign we are brought to glory is one way the tradition has spoken of this.
This awful event, where the Son of God is crucified at our own hands, becomes the moment where all is redeemed. Thus, there is rejoicing in heaven. An old missionary I knew of described his calling as having come one night when he looked up at the starry skies filled with twinkling stars, something we see little of today given light spills from our cities, and was overwhelmed with their beauty. In each star he saw the heavens rejoicing for a new believer. Like the woman finding the coin, and rejoicing, he wanted to be one who found sinners and brought them into the light. With that parable in his mind, he knelt down on the ground and committed his life to the Lord and his great mission.
HYMN INFO
Isaac Watts is the father of English hymnody. The story goes that after church one Sunday, he complained to his pastor father about the psalm they had sung and its bad poetry. His father said, Well, write one that is better! Isaac did, many times over and filled our hymnals with great hymns, many of which remain in the top 100 of hymns. See here for further info on Watts. https://www.hymnfortheday.com/post/hymns-for-christmas-eve-joy-to-the-world-a-thousand-christmas-candles-gleam-nu-tändas-tusen-juleljus
Lowell Mason was the most important composer of church music in America. His treasury of hymns is still with us, although his work is being winnowed down over the decades.
Luther College’s Nordic Choir under the direction of Weston Noble sang this hymn
as a closing anthem. Here we can enjoy it and see Weston at the Crystal Cathedral in
a thrilling performance. Weston used the tune Hamburg by Lowell Mason; the King’s College choir uses Rockingham. Both are well loved.
LINKS
Nordic Choir/Weston Noble/Hamburg
Festival choirs with Weston/Hamburg
The King’s College Easter Service/Rockingham
