Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Just a few blocks away from my house stands a small brick building, a Methodist chapel. It’s rather unassuming in its looks, but it’s best known for its bells. Nearly every hour, every day of the week, they chime out well-known hymns.
Although most folks who live within earshot of the little church think the bells are annoying, I kind of like the sound, which often greets me as I walk my dogs to the park across the street. Since I’m fairly knowledgeable about church music, sometimes I make a game out of trying to identify the hymns as they’re being played on the bells.
The other day, a friend and I were walking, and the bells began to ring. We both immediately identified the hymn as “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”. Although the hymn itself was easy enough to figure out, what really stumped us was why on earth they were playing an Easter song in the middle of August.
Later, while I was cooking supper, I started to think about it again. Why would they play a song about Christ rising from the dead, when Easter isn’t for another seven months? It seemed out of place, out of season. Kind of like when the radio stations start playing Christmas music at the beginning of October. (And let me tell you, it’s 85 and humid in October in South Carolina. Jack Frost ain’t nippin’ at anybody.) It just didn't make sense.
Easter music in August? Still perplexed, I thought about the lyrics.
Christ the Lord is risen today
Saints and men and angels say
Raise your joy and triumph high
Sing, ye Heavens, and Earth reply
Lives again our glorious King
Where, o Death, is now thy sting?
Dying once, He all us saved
Where thy victory, o Grave?
Love’s redeeming work is done
Fought the fight, the battle won
Death in vain forbids Him rise
Christ hath opened Paradise
As I thought about it more and more, it slowly began to make sense in my mind. Nowhere in those lyrics does it say anything that would only make sense on Easter. Because it’s not talking about “Christ rose”. It’s talking about “Christ is risen”. Big difference, and here’s why:
Let’s take a little detour into Grammar World, shall we? Don’t worry; it’ll be quick and painless.
“Christ rose” is past tense. As in, Christ rose from the dead on the third day. It’s describing an action which occurred a long time ago.
But “Christ is risen” is present tense. (Although technically it ought to be “raised”... but let’s not go there. I promised you a painless trip to Grammar World, didn’t I?) As in, Christ is risen, and He is seated at the right hand of the Father. It describes not an action but a state of being, something permanent.
Or in other words, we’re not talking about Christ rising- the one-time occurrence that already happened. We’re talking about Christ’s permanent, constant state as a risen and living Being. Christ only rose once, and that was specific to Easter. But Christ is risen, on Easter Sunday, and today, and every day of the year. He lives! He is risen! Present tense.
“Christ the Lord is Risen Today” isn’t just an Easter song, I decided. Nor is it just an Easter sentiment. Christ is risen, today, tomorrow, and every day.
I want to share another hymn with you. It was written by Keith and Kristyn Getty, modern hymn writers from Ireland whom I had the pleasure of hearing in person last Sunday at church.
(If you want to know more about them, you can visit their website at http://www.gettymusic.com/. I highly encourage you to buy an album or two and make their music an enriching part of your spiritual life.)
The hymn they performed that touched me the most, that I want to share with you today, is called “See, What a Morning.”
Here are the lyrics:
See, what a morning, gloriously bright,
With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;
Folded the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,
As the angels announce, "Christ is risen!"
See God's salvation plan,
Wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,
Fulfilled in Christ, the Man,
For He lives:
Christ is risen from the dead!
See Mary weeping, "Where is He laid?"
As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb;
Hears a voice speaking, calling her name;
It's the Master, the Lord raised to life again!
The voice that spans the years,
Speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us,
Will sound till He appears,
For He lives:
Christ is risen from the dead!
One with the Father, Ancient of Days,
Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty.
Honor and blessing, glory and praise
To the King crowned with power and authority
And we are raised with Him,
Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered;
And we shall reign with Him,
For He lives:
Christ is risen from the dead!
There it is again, the proclamation that Christ is risen! It’s something that ought to be in our hearts every day. Christ is risen; He lives! He loves us, and knows us, every one of us by name, and we will meet Him again. What knowledge could bring more joy to any heart than to know that our risen King lives? How mighty must He be that nothing, not even death, could conquer Him? And what could bring more comfort than to know we serve a mighty, victorious, living God? He lives! Nothing can overcome His holy power! Christ is risen from the dead! He is risen! Alleluia!
Again, please visit http://www.gettymusic.com/ and learn more about Keith and Kristyn. They’re truly inspirational people, fantastic musicians, incredible writers, and they love and serve the Lord every day with their music. (And plus, they have really cool Irish accents.)
It's amazing that Christ rose from the dead, isn't it? Of course it is! But that's really not the point. Nor is it the most amazing part of the story. What is the point, then? Well, the point is, He's alive! Two thousand and something years later, He's still alive, and He still saves souls and changes lives every day!
This song, "Alive Forever Amen", is one of my favorite songs. It does such a great job of explaining what I believe to be one of the most important beliefs we share as Christians:
Here are the lyrics to the chorus:
He's alive, alive
Alive, hallelujah!
Alive, praise and glory to the Lamb!
Alive, alive,
Alive, hallelujah!
Alive, forever, amen!
Brothers and sisters, it is my prayer today that you will remember that “Christ is risen!” isn’t just an Easter sentiment. "He's alive!" isn't just true one Sunday a year. And "Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered!" doesn't just apply on that one morning as you're standing there in church. May you always be mindful that the relevance of Christ's resurrection will never be out of place or out of season. God bless.
~BYR
