Awake My Heart With Gladness

In Catholic circles, this coming Sunday is referred to as Passion Sunday. It precedes Palm Sunday by one week, signaling the coming end of Lent and helping to focus the church on the work of the Cross. You might ask, “I’m not Catholic so why are we talking about what the Catholics do?” Well, I’m not Catholic either. But I do believe that as we approach Holy Week, it is good to prepare our hearts for this very special church season and focused time of remembrance. This hymn, written by German clergyman Paul Gerhardt in the mid-1600s gives us language to do just that. 

“The cross is the suffering love of God bearing the guilt of man’s sin, which alone is able to melt the sinner’s heart and bring him to repentance for salvation.” Billy Graham. 

As we prepare for worship on Sunday morning, let us apply the work of the Cross to our hearts, and awaken "with gladness"!

Awake, my heart, with gladness–
see what today is done!
Now, after gloom and sadness,
comes forth the glorious sun.
My Savior there was laid
where our bed must be made
when to the realms of light
our spirit wings its flight.

The foe in triumph shouted
when Christ lay in the tomb;
but lo, he now is routed,
his boast is turned to gloom.
For Christ again is free;
in glorious victory
he who is strong to save
has triumphed o'er the grave.

This is a sight that gladdens—
what peace it does impart!
Now nothing ever saddens
the joy within my heart.
No gloom shall ever shake,
no foe shall ever take
the hope which God's own Son
in love for me has won

Now I will cling forever
to Christ, my Savior dear,
My Lord will leave me never;
with him I need not fear.
He rends death's iron chain;
he breaks through sin and pain.
He shatters hell's dark thrall;
I follow Him through all.

He brings me to the portal
that leads to bliss untold,
whereon this rhyme immortal
is found in script of gold:
"Who there my cross has shared
finds here a crown prepared;
who there with me has died
shall here be glorified."

 

“Awake, My Heart, With Gladness” was written by Paul Gerhardt, and published by German composer Johann Crüger in 1648. In 1867, John Kelly translated it into English. The version we sing at Valley was arranged by Karen Gibson in 2019.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Jesus Is Alive

Image
 As I write this, it's the day after Easter. He is risen. He is risen indeed! "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'" ( John 20:19 ESV ) Can you imagine the startling nature of Jesus simply appearing to you? No wonder he said, "Peace be with you!" In his human body, bones, and flesh, he appeared to the disciples many times after the resurrection. On one such occasion, Mark records the Great Commission. "And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'" ( Mark 16:15 ESV ) As we see in Acts, the apostles established the church on the foundation of their eyewitness accounts of Jesus's ministry, death and resurrection, and his appearances to them. As Tim Keller once said, "On one hand, the resurrection is a fact to be believed. On the
Read more

There Is A Fountain

While living under the spiritual care of Rev. John Newton, William Cowper (pronounced Cooper) wrote “There Is A Fountain.” It was first published in 1772 and has since found its way into more than 2,440 hymnals, surpassing John Newton’s “Amazing Grace” by over 1,000 hymnal publishings in a similar time frame. Born to John and Ann Cowper, he descended from the British aristocracy. His father, John, was chaplain to King George II and nephew of the first Earl Cowper, and his mother, Ann’s bloodline can be traced back to King Henry III. Sadly, his mother passed when he was just 6 years old, and he was sent off to boarding school soon after. This tragedy would become the catalyst for a life-long battle with deep, destructive depression. Despite a very promising legal and political career path, roughly 26 years after his mother’s passing, his mental illness drove him to a failed suicide attempt that would then land him in an asylum for 18 months. That time would set about a spiritual renewal
Read more