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Today's Lenten Devotion
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And They Sang a New Song
You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased saints for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.
-- Revelation 5:9-10
I was in Tennessee last weekend for my nephew Lance's wedding. It was a unique experience for me to sit in the pew as a family member rather than stand by the altar as a pastor! As I waited in the sanctuary of the General Baptist church for the rehearsal to end [ and for the rehearsal dinner to begin ;<) ]
I paged through the hymnal. I saw unfamiliar, eye-catching titles like "Shake Hands with Mother Again" and "He's Still Workin' on Me." I also noticed there was a whole subset of blood-related titles: "Nothing But the Blood," "The Blood That Stained [the Old Rugged Cross]," "The Blood Will Never [Lose Its Power]," "There is Power in the Blood," "When I See the Blood."
As a Lutheran I am not accustomed to this fascination with/focus on Jesus' blood. And yet, why not? "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this for the remembrance of me."
In today's passage from the Book of Revelation, we hear the song of the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders ringed 'round the throne of the Lamb: "... [Y]ou were slain, and with your blood you purchased saints for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." In verse 12 myriads of others join in the chorus: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered ... ."
The blood of Jesus shed on Calvary, the blood of the Lamb extolled in Baptist hymns, the blood of Christ present on the altar on Maundy Thursday and at every celebration of Holy Communion, are essentially, spiritually the same: the lifeblood of our Savior. It is the life of our Lord, lovingly poured out, paid out, for us. The shedding of His blood resulted in the ending of His life and the beginning of ours.
Whenever I feel or fear I am getting complacent about the Gift given for me, I remember St. Paul's pointed reminder, "You have been bought with a price." The body of Christ was given up for me; the blood of Christ was shed for me. "What wondrous love is this, that caused the Lord of bliss, to bear the dreadful curse for my soul?"
The blood of Christ is life, love, suffering. When we share "the cup of salvation" we join our lives to the suffering of Christ. We are in holy communion with the One who suffered for love of us. We commit to see, to share, to work to alleviate the suffering of His people. To eat the Body of Christ is to be strengthened by and unified with the Body of Christ, the Church. To drink the Blood of Christ is to sign on to suffer for the sake of the kingdom and to be in solidarity with "the least of these, His brothers and sisters."
Let us pray:
Dear Father in heaven, You sent Your Son, our Lord Jesus, to suffer a life-giving death so that we might live. May His precious Blood cover the multitude of our sins and wash white our sin-soiled souls. We pray by the power of Your Holy Spirit, the Life-giver and Comforter. Amen
Pastor Mary Virginia Olsen
blueiris@bytheshore.com
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