John Bowring
1 Corinthians 2:1-2; 4-5
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
In the Cross of Christ I Glory LBW 104
1 In the cross of Christ I glory, tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time.
All the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime.
2 When the woes of life o’ertake me, hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
vever shall the cross forsake me; lo, it glows with peace and joy.
3 When the sun of bliss is beaming light and love upon my way,
from the cross the radiance streaming adds more luster to the day.
4 Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, by the cross are sanctified;
peace is there that knows no measure, joys that through all time abide.
Text: John Bowring, 1792-1872
John Bowring was the British Governor of Hong Kong during the height of the Victorian Era. During his term of office, a huge hurricane ripped through and destroyed the Cathedral of Macao, located on the South China coast nearby. When he went there to survey the extent of the damage, the only thing left standing was a portion of the tower, and the large, brass cross affixed to it, untouched and gleaming in the sun. After returning to Hong Kong, Bowring, deeply impressed by what he saw, penned the words to this traditional Lenten hymn. Its opening words reflecting his experience in Macao; “In the Cross of Christ I glory, towering oe’r the wrecks of time…”
Prayer: In the aftermath of the storm, when all we cherish seems damaged, delayed or destroyed, focus our eyes and our lives, O God, on the cross of Christ. For through that instrument of death, you redeemed our world. Remind us it is only after the certainty of death that the unexpected power of the resurrection comes! Amen.