Erlene suggested this, and it has blown me away–Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, as performed by the whole crew at Sydney Opera House.
Gonna knock off for a while now. We couldn’t watch Risen yesterday because we somehow stumbled into the middle of an Etruscan fire drill, so we’ll try again today. The sun’s out today, and I want to spend some time with it.
I will not post nooze on Easter Sunday. I have a duty to watch: so, yes, I see some of those abominable things that are going on, even today. Rest assured God sees them, too.
The real news is “Death cannot keep its prey,” Jesus Christ has left His tomb, the stone is rolled away–and He will return. In the meantime, “Occupy until I come.”
You have no idea how I long to burst out in indignation over certain nooze that surfaced this weekend. But I hold back because Our Lord’s Resurrection is more important, infinitely more important; and this other is not fit to be mentioned on this day. I don’t know if it will ever be worthy to mention in print, on any day.
But rest assured: God sees, God hears, God knows. In the long run this earth is still the LORD’s, the tomb is empty… and as He is risen, so shall we be risen.
It’s Easter Sunday! Christ is risen!
We celebrate with this classic hymn by Charles Wesley, sung by the Joslin Grove Choral Society–Christ the Lord Is Risen Today.
What more need be said?
Good heavens! How could I have failed to post this hymn on Easter Sunday? Up from the Grave He Arose, by the Voice of Eden–our brothers in South India. Sing it, men! The whole world needs to hear it.
God’s stuff always works!
Our lawn is dappled all over with purple dead-nettle–not to mention wild violets in the shady spots, dandelions, and these tiny white wildflowers that I’ve never seen before. And we have a stand on bright yellow flowers around our bird feeder–which, happily, Frank the landlord couldn’t find it in his heart to mow down.
Our yard is awash with color–so much nicer, I think, than just a featureless green lawn. We have daffodils around the doorways, and the tulips are coming up. Our honeybees are busy. Soon, I hope, we’ll see butterflies, too.
We have a wonderful Creator and a glorious Creation.
Today is Good Friday, a profoundly holy day in which we commemorate Christ’s crucifixion–a murder perpetrated by the authorities in Jerusalem (yes, Pontius Pilate: you proved to be a waste of space).
But Our Lord consented to it. Without sin Himself, He took upon Himself the sins of all humanity: He was wounded for our transgressions, and by His stripes we are healed.
In light of this, I can’t bring myself to do regular nooze reporting today. Not on Good Friday. Hold ’em over till tomorrow. The stupid stuff our fallen world is doing will still be there tomorrow. I’ve also decided this is not a day for Joe Collidge.
Hymns and prayers and Christian fellowship–that’s what we need today. It’s not business as usual: we have more pressing business up above.
We do have to be careful about using “Bible movies” as a source of doctrine. But in this scene from The Robe, Victor Mature and Richard Burton captured an emotional impact that certainly should be part of the experience.
It’s not a thing we should ever take for granted.
Would you believe we sang this in… school? Our seventh-grade chorus Spring Concert included it.
This hymn, commemorating the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, goes back to 1250 A.D. We’ll hear the bells of St. Francis play it today.
I know, you’re wondering what I’m doing, posting this hymn today. It’s more of Christmas than of Easter. But this is the hymn that I wanted today, so here it is–Gloria in Excelsis Deo by Saint-Saens, sung by the Libera Boys Choir.
As we head into Holy Week, heading toward Easter, bear in mind that the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ has survived countless attempts to discredit it. R.J. Rushdoony discusses those here, in this short video.
https://chalcedon.edu/resources/videos/early-attempts-to-discredit-the-gospel
This could not be done, although it was certainly attempted, while thousands of eyewitnesses to Jesus’ ministry, His miracles, and His Resurrection still lived. But some hundred years later, it turned into a virtual industry which continues to this day.
How could so much effort, by so many people, over so long a time… fail?
Quite simply, because the Gospel, and the eyewitness accounts, are true.
This truth has been under siege for going on two thousand years–and they still can’t stuff it back into the box.
Onward to the Resurrection!