What Love Is This?

Galatians 3:13-14

            Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

 What Wondrous Love Is This LBW 385

 1    What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
     What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
      What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
      to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
      to bear the dreadful curse for my soul?

2    When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
      when I was sinking down, sinking down,
      when I was sinking down beneath God's righteous frown,
      Christ laid aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,
      Christ laid aside his crown for my soul.

3    To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing;
      to God and to the Lamb I will sing; to God and to the Lamb,
      who is the great I AM, while millions join the theme,
I will sing, I will sing, while millions join the theme, I will sing.

 4    And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on, I'll sing on;
     and when from death I'm free, I'll sing on;
      and when from death I'm free, I'll sing God's love for me,
      and through eternity I'll sing on, I'll sing on;
and through eternity I'll sing on.

 Text: North American folk hymn, 19th cent., alt.

             This hymn is often associated with Appalachia, but like most spirituals it has been passed down through many cultures and traditions.  The melody is based on a 6-tone scale that sounds like a minor key; ithas a haunting effect which is enhanced by the simple, yet powerful text .  The hymn seeks to answer that age-old question of post-Easter: “Christ is risen!  So what?” 

            One of the best expositions of this question was given by Frederick Buechner in a sermon who said, in effect, “what do you do with your life when you discover it is no longer your own, but yours as a gift?  A man falls on a grenade, or jumps into the icy waters of a river to provide hope to those who have survived a crash and await help. Each gives up their life that you might live.  What do you do in the moment you realize your life is now yours only as a gift from another?  That every moment you live from then on is only because someone else gave their life to allow yours to continue?"  I think if we prayerfully consider what it means for Christ to have died for us, that our lives are ours to live as a gift, it might change us. It might even cause us to sing! 

Prayer: What wondrous love is this O my soul that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul? When I was sinking down, Christ laid aside his crown, for my soul! To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, to God and to the lamb who is the great I AM, while millions join the theme, I will sing! And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on, I’ll sing on, and through eternity I'll sing on! Amen.

My favorite version of this hymn: 

 
 
Craig Fourman