"Today you will be with me in paradise"

                            

Monday musical meditations on God's good news

  


    An opening prayer:

    All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall;
    Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all.
    Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all.

    Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race, ye ransomed from the fall,
    Hail Him Who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all.
    Hail Him Who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all.

    Hail Him, ye heirs of David’s line, Whom David Lord did call,
    The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown him Lord of all,
    The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown him Lord of all.

    Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget the wormwood and the gall,
    Go spread your trophies at his feet, and crown him Lord of all.
    Go spread your trophies at his feet, and crown him Lord of all.

    O that, with yonder sacred throng, we at his feet may fall,
    Join in the everlasting song, and crown him Lord of all,
    Join in the everlasting song, and crown him Lord of all!

Luke 23:35–43

  • The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at Jesus. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” 
  • 36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 
  • 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: This Is the King of the Jews.
  •  39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
  •  40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
  •  42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
  •  43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Good news questions

  • Paradise, the garden of Eden? The orchard of pleasure? Yours? For free?
  • With Jesus? 
  • No matter who you are? No matter what you've done?
  • Even if you have never really adequately apologized to God?
  • (Who could?)

For others pray

  • That God spreads the good news of the kingdom of the Son he loves in Liberia

J.S. Bach's beautiful music for today

  • BWV 182 (YouTube, "Welcome, King of Heaven")
  • This cantata praises Jesus, the King who willingly came to Jerusalem to die for us.
  • What strong love!
  • Even on the cross: "he goes before us and opens the way."

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