Reflections on a Hymn

Greetings,

I have been reading through Roland Bainton's biography of Luther: Here I Stand. I love the story of Luther, for he is one of the more "earthly" of the reformers of the Church. Calvin stands as a figure of tremendous intellect and a systematizer of Christian Truth. Spurgeon was given a gift of verbal eloquence that would rival Chrysostom. But Luther, Luther was just a man of the common people. Sure enough he was a man of letters, but at his heart Luther was a common man who was not afraid to speak in the crude manner of a common German peasant. This ability would be used of God to start a great revival, but his mouth often got him into more trouble than was necessary. He was just an ordinary man used by God to deliver an extraordinary message, not only to the people of his day, but to all of western society that would come after him: God has reconciled man to Himself in the cross of Christ.
The Lord spoke through Luther's pulpit sermons, Christ also gave Luther the gift of Music. He wrote numerous hymns and set the psalms to tunes that were quite lively. He was also known for having a good tenor voice. Here is an example of his hymn writing:

In devil's dungeon chained I lay
The pangs of death swept o'er me.
My sin devoured me night or day
In which my mother bore me.
My anguish grew more rife,
I took no pleasure in my life
And sin had made me crazy.

Then was the Father troubled sore
To see me ever languish.
The Everlasting Pity swore
To save me from my anguish.
He turned to me His Father's heart
And chose Himself a bitter part,
His Dearest did it cost Him.

Thus spoke the Son, "Hold thou to me,
From now on thou wilt make it.
I gave my very life for thee
And for thee I will stake it.
For I am thine and thou art mine,
And where I am our lives entwine,
The Old Fiend cannot shake it."

It is an amazing thing really, when form and content meet. Much like a meal that is well balanced: a large portion of meat to nourish the stomach, and a portion of Dark Chocolate to ensure the taste buds will dance with glee.
I enjoy Luther's reflection on a life in sin as ripping all pleasure from life and making one crazy. Verily, I think the end of one's life, if it be not centered on Christ, is doomed to hysteria. Over the time of my rather short life I have pondered many thoughts about Christ, but never has my apperception considered Christ the "Everlasting Pity". And it truly is a glorious thought to entertain: that Christ and our "lives entwine." As Luther would say:

"This it is to behold God in faith that you should look upon his fatherly, friendly heart, in which there is no anger nor ungraciousness. He who see God as angry does not see him rightly but looks only on a curtain, as if a dark cloud had been drawn across his face."

Eternal Father, Strong To Save

Greetings all,

I am writing this post at what, if my eyes do not deceive me, looks to be two in the morning due to some studying that I needed to finish. I haven't posted in a while and that was because I did not feel like doing it, and I use the term "feel" for a very good reason. This year has been a hard one for me in a number of different ways that I will not go into. Now, these things and situations that I am referring to have not in any way changed my theology or philosophy. Despite death or flooding or termite infestation, Jesus is still fully God and fully Man, one person with two natures that are neither adulterated nor lessened, is still co-eternal and co-substantial with the Father. However, you can still believe the truth and feel the lie. It is so easy for is to look at our situations and become indifferent to things; to lose our zeal for truth just because we do not feel like we are going anywhere. However, as in all situations, Scripture is not silent about such issues. In the Gospels, we read of torments and afflictions that were laid on Christ that He might attain our pardon, and I imagine that such events were not fun. Life was not a field of beautiful wild growing tulips at that point, it was hell. Yet, Christ still loved. He still cared. He still had compassion and mercy. Things which, though we associate them with emotions that often go with them, are not themselves emotions. So, the state of our feelings is an irrelevant factor if we miss the truth for lack of feeling. Don't get me wrong, its perfectly fine to have feelings in general, but thats not what I am addressing. Our praise and adoration can not be based on how we feel about or lives at the moment, rather it must be based on the truth and love of God. Only that shall give us a place to stand amidst various winds and tempests of life.
My pastor would always try to impress upon me the fact that life is hard and going to be difficult at certain part, and I have found to be true day by day. But I have also found Christ to be sufficient in all situations and at all times regardless of what particular events happen to us. We need only know that He is ever present, and we shall stand strong. We need only know of His power to realize that we are safe within His arms. Yes, life is difficult, but Christ is more powerful than life. And yes, how we feel can be a great hill to over come some days, but God is still greater than our feelings. Feelings come and go, Christ is the I AM: unceasingly self sufficient and unceasingly our Mighty Fortress. Our Eternal Father, Strong to Save.