First Sunday During LentGod's covenant |
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| Scripture | Theme | Hymns |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis 9:8-17 | God's covenant to Noah | 480: O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go |
| Psalm 25:1-10 | Following God's covenant | 606: Come, Let Us Use the Grace Divine |
| 1 Peter 3:18-22 | Christ extended God's covenant | 203: Hail to the Lord's Annointed 337: Only Trust Him 622: There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood |
| Mark 1:9-15 | Christ is God's covenant | 368: My Hope Is Built |
Praise the Lord for His undying love and unfailing grace! This week's featured hymn was written by William Cowper. He was born in 1731, the son of a pastor and chaplain to King George II. He would know a life of tragedy and sadness. His mother died when he was six. Later, his father and step-mother died, and his best friend drowned. He struggled with depression and mental illness, and was committed to a mental assylum for 18 months. While there, he read the Bible as a source of comfort. One day as he read Romans 3:25-26, he came to the realization that the sacrifice of Christ was sufficient to cover his sins. He observed, "I could only look up to heaven in silent fear, overwhelmed with love and wonder." In the years that followed, Cowper came to work with John Newton, a former slaver best known today as the author of the hymn Amazing Grace, and the two worked together to write and publish many hymns.
There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood was written during this time. The powerful, graphic imagery of the opening lines ceated a stir right away, and the text went through a number of revisions. The truth embodied in the message was so powerful, though, that all revisions returned to the original theme: sinners are cleansed through the blood of Christ.
Ponder the undying love of God that saves us as you read the words to this powerful hymn:
| 1. There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins; and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains; and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. |
2. The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day; and there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away. Wash all my sins away, wash all my sins away; and there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away. |
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| 3. Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood shall never lose its power till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more. Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more; till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more. |
4. E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream thy flowing wounds supply, redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die. And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die; redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die. |
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Cowper was recognized for his hymns and poetry throughout his adult life, including Heal Us, Emmanuel, Hear Our Prayer, which is also included in The United Methodist Hymnal.
God bless you--
Lection at HymnSite.com
God bless you!
| Passages suggested are from The Revised Common Lectionary: Consultation on Common Texts (Abingdon Press, 1992) copyright © by the Consultation on Common Texts (CCT), P.O. Box 340003, Room 381, Nashville TN 37203-0003. Reprinted with permission of CCT. |