Crown Him The King of Kings

Jesse Harmon

RELIG 210

March 23, 2012

Crown Him The King Of Kings

            “Crown Him With Many Crowns” has three main writers: two lyricists and one music composer.  Matthew Bridges, who wrote verses 1 and 4 through 9 , was inspired to write this song after reading Revelation 19:12 which states, “his eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns,”  (the “eyes of blazing fire” are mentioned in verse 6).  Bridges, who initially condemned Catholicism, later converted to Catholicism and wrote six stanzas to this song in 1852.  Bridges was born in Maldon, Essex, England.  This hymn would make much more sense to someone born under a monarchy or parliamentary monarchy.  Godfrey Thring, an Anglican from Alford, Somerset, England, thought this song was too Catholic sounding, so he added at least six stanzas to the song to make this song acceptable for singing in Protestant churches in 1874 (it is not known in Bridges and Thring ever met) ("Sharefaith, Letters & Arts, Inc.")  George J. Elvay composed the famous tune, “Diademata,” in 1868.  In this paper, I will be going through the song, searching for references to Jesus, and parallel references in the Bible.  “Crown Him With Many Crowns” is a hymn that depicts the entire life if Jesus Christ.  One should note that there is a constant reminder to praise God for sending Jesus down to save us from the bondage of sin.

            The first verse exclaims that a savior has come and has died to save us from the bondage of sin, and that we should praise him and thank him for it.  “Awake my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee.  All hail him as thy matchless King through all eternity.”  We will see again later this same theme in the last verse.

            The theme of this hymn is Jesus Christ and his exaltation.  Verse 2 mentions Jesus being born of the Virgin Mary.  Luke 2 is seen in this verse.  Luke 2:7 states, “…she gave birth to her firstborn, a son…” This verse’s first line even states that Jesus is God incarnate, meaning that Jesus was fully God.  This has a very Trinitarian view on Jesus’ life (God is one being in three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit).  Thring wrote this verse, as mentioned before, to counteract what he thought was a very Catholic-sounding hymn.

            The third verse (second verse written by Thring) reflects the Gospel of John.  John 1:1 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, and the Word was with God.”  The hymn states, “Crown him the Son of God, before the world began.  John 1:14 shows us that the Word became flesh, meaning that God took on human characteristics and was born.

            Verse five reflects Hebrews 1:9-10, which states, “…we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone,” ("preceptaustin".)  Also in verse five is the word scepter.  According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word scepter means, “a staff or baton borne by a sovereign as an emblem of authority.”  Hebrews 1:8 states that righteousness is the scepter, or the authority, of God’s kingdom. 

            The crucifixion is the main theme for verse number six.  This verse shows us the wounds in Jesus’ hands, feet, and side.  This verse states that Jesus’ crucifixion should be seen as a beautiful thing, because he died to save us from our sins.  “[Behold] his hands and side.  These wounds yet visible above in beauty glorified.”

            The ascension is the main theme for verse seven.  This verse states that Jesus is “enthroned in worlds above,” possibly stating that currently, Jesus is at the right hand of God.  “[As] thrones before him fall,” could mean that as time passes, empires rise up and empires fall (like the Roman empire of the previous millennium or the Ottoman empire of the last century).  Even though these empires fall, Jesus is still sitting there at the right hand of God, waiting for the opportune time to return.

            Verse eight describes God’s forgiveness of our sins through the death of Jesus.  “Who once on earth, the incarnate Word, for ransomed sinners slain,” tells us that Jesus, or the word (logos), was in fact brought into this world to save us.   

            As mentioned before, the last verse reflects the first verse, closing out the song.  The final verse tells us that God was, God is, and God will be to come, and we are to praise him for being merciful to us until the end of time. “Thy praise and glory shall not fail throughout eternity.”  This hymn constantly reminds us to praise God for sending Jesus down to save us.  I feel this hymn describes the masculinity of Jesus, because of the marching feeling that one gets when listening to this song, since it’s in 4/4 time.  Marching, to me, reminds me of war, which reminds me of masculinity, so this hymn has a very masculine feel to it.  Overall, this very beautiful and thought provoking hymn pictures Jesus as the savior, which is one of the most important ways we are to view Jesus as a person.

           

Works Cited

"Crown Him With Many Crowns." CyberHymnal. N.p., 08/18/2007. Web. 22 Mar 2012. <http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/r/crownhim.htm>.

"Hebrews 1:8-10 Commentary." preceptaustin. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar 2012.             <http://www.preceptaustin.org/hebrews_18-14.htm>.

"Story behind the song - Crown Him with Many Crowns." Sharefaith, Letters & Arts, Inc.. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar 2012. <http://www.faithclipart.com/guide/Christian-Music/hymns-the-songs-            and-the-stories/crown-him-with-many-crowns-the-song-and-the-story.html

Psalms 100-109

Psalm 102:8 

All day long my enemies taunt me...

Depression taunts me all day long.

Psalm 103:8 

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.

I'm reminded of a song the Capital University Chordsmen did last year during the Homecoming and the Spring concerts.  Craig Courtney's "Praise Him."

You can hear a demonstration here.

Psalm 103:13 

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

My church's adult Sunday School class is studying the Augsburg Confession right now.  This past week we talked about fear and trust in the Lord.  My pastor stated that when he was a little kid, he used to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes play basketball at night.  When they were on in Central time zone, it was actually past his bedtime.  About 20 minutes after going to bed, his dad would come and get him and take him to watch the Buckeyes.  My pastor stated that when his father's hand was on my pastor's arm, he felt like nothing could hurt him.  That was trust.

I try to go on at least one roller coaster ride whenever I go to an amusement park like King's Island.  I have a horrendous fear of heights, but I really want to get over it.  I absolutely fear going on rides that take me too high in the sky (I like the ones that are lower to the ground and spin you very fast).  I trust that the rides are completely safe, but I fear for my life when I'm on them.

Psalm 107:23-30 

Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters.  They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep.  For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lift high the waves.  They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away.  They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end.  Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of distress.  He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.

That sounds awful familiar....

Mark 4:35-41 

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side."  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.  There were also other boats with him.  A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was heavily swamped.  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on cushion.  The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"  He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet!  Be still!"  Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  He said to the disciples, "Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?"  They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this?  Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Does this not prove that Jesus was God in human form?

Psalms 90-99

Psalm 91 reminds me of the song, "On Eagle's Wings."  Here is the William Jessup University Choir singing this version. It's not quite the version the Senior choir sings at church.

Psalm 91:various verses 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust..."  You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day...A thousand may fall at your side...For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone...

Psalm 98 is the inspiration for the classic Christmas carol, "Joy To The World."

Psalm 98:4-9 

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music, make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn  -- shout for joy before the Lord, the King.  Let the sea resound and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.  Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

This year's Capital University Christmas Festival's theme was "Joy!"  The second to last song, which was one of my favorites, was "Joy To The World."  Here is a version of it sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Isaac Watts wanted this song to sound like an imitation of Psalm 98.  He didn't want to directly copy it.  

Psalms 80-89

Psalm 80:3, 7, 19 

Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved...Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved...Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

Repetition is important in poetry.  It's important because the author wants you to remember that line specifically.  I think this is an early form of a chorus or refrain.  Many modern songs today have choruses and refrains.

Psalm 81:2-3 

Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodies harp and lyre.  Sound the rams horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast.

Any noise is joyous to the Lord!  See this post here on the Luther, Baptists, and Evangelicals blog.

I was reminded of this earlier this week when talking with a friend.  My friend stated that no matter what style of worship we go to, whether contemporary or traditional, we all believe in one thing: Jesus Christ is our Savior, and he died for our sins (I felt like I was punched in the face after my friend told me this).

Psalm 88 reminds me of a song, especially the last verse of the psalm.

Psalm 88:18 

You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my friend.

Psalms 70-79

Sorry folks.  I got hung up this week with all that has been going on.  Today I'll post three blogs, each on the days of Psalms that I've missed this week.


I need to highlight the entire 71st Psalm, but here are a few of the most striking.

Psalm 71:4-5 

Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men.  For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.

I've always grown up in church, albeit a few months here and there where I didn't go for one reason or another.  My demons are depression, anxiety, wickedness, and worst of all, anger.  God please take these away from me.  I don't want to suffer anymore.

Psalm 71:9-15

Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.  For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.  They says, "God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him."  Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me.  May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.  But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.  My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.

Psalm 72 is a psalm of royalty.  We will see one of these in a few days when we read Psalm 122.

Psalm 75:8 

In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.

I didn't know what a dreg was, so I looked it up.  It has three similar definitions:

1.) sediment contained in a liquid or precipitate from it
2.) most undesirable part
3.) last remaining part

At first, I thought this passage reflected the third definition of dreg.  However, after looking over the Psalm again, I'm starting to wonder if it means the second definition.  This psalm is talking about the wicked of the earth.

Psalm 75:4 

To the arrogant I say, 'Boast no more,' and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horns.  Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck.'"

Psalm 78:21-39, 41 

God's anger rose against [the people of Jacob and against Israel]; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel.  In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.  So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror.  Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again.  They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.  But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues;  their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant.  Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them.  Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath.  He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return...Again and again the put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel.

If God won't let loose his full wrath, why can't I restrain myself?

Psalm 79:8-9 

Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.  Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.

What's Wrong With Me?

Since I've started this new medicine, Viibryd, I've had some up days and I've had some down days.

Whenever I've had up days, they've been very good.

Whenever I've had down days, they've been VERY bad.

Like on Sunday, I was having a down day.  Something upset me the previous week, and I realized that things were not right.

I've recently said some things that I shouldn't have.  I've been pushing people out of my life.  I ruined another friendship.  Possibly three friendships.

_________

Yesterday I asked my mother to come up to Capital.  We went to get pizza and talk.  I then skipped three classes (two yesterday and one today), and came home to relax.  I was experiencing some chest pains because of anxiety.  I slept about 14 hours.  I went to bed around eight o'clock last night and woke up around 10 o'clock this morning.

I've calmed down today and I'm ashamed about what I did.  I asked God to forgive me, but I'm still ashamed and hurt about what I did.  I'm scared......


Does God hate me?  Why do I have to suffer?

Psalm 42:9-11

 I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me?  Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?  My bones suffer mortal avony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?”  Why, my soul, are you downcast?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

6 Things Invented by Muslims We Still Use Today

For you Islamaphobes.

Things invented by Muslims
1.) Chess
2.) Water pumps
3.) Paper making
4.) Surgery
5.) Tents
6.) Observatories


PHOTOS: 6 Ancient Muslim Inventions We Still Use Today








‎"I learned everything about Islam on 9/11" is like "I learned everything about Christianity by Rev. Terry Jones."

Psalms 50-59

I think we just dealt with Psalm 51 in church last week.


According to my notes, this is a psalm of confession.  Both kinds of sin are documented in this psalm.

1.) Original sin
2.) Act of sin

Psalm 51:3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

Sin is always, and always will be, there.

Psalm 51:5Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

This is Original Sin, which is documented in Article II of the Augsburg Confession, which my church adult Sunday School is discussing at this time period.

Psalm 51:10Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

 This is a song that the Senior Choir at church does every so often.  It's a great one.  I can't seem to find a version of it on YouTube.

Psalm 55:2Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer my.   My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught.

This New Medicine, Viibryd

You probably know that I'm on a new medication for my depression called Viibryd.  After switching to 40 mg, I've been having some very livid, lucid, (and quite frankly), strange dreams.
(I've always had strange dreams.  I even wrote a story based on one while I was in high school.  I'll see if I can find it when I go home this weekend.)  They're not scary, but just like a "what the hell was that?" kind of thing.

Like last night I had a strange one.  Maybe two because I remember two different scenes.




Mom, dad, my sister, and I were all at a drive-in movie theater in the woods.  We were in an old station wagon from like 1975 or so, and it was a convertible with theater-style seats.  I guess there were two levels of cars.  The first level may have been for people who paid more, while the second level may have been people who paid less.  We were on the second level.

We were watching a movie on the bed sheet that was spread across the trees.  There was a contraption that had white swinging doors on frames in front of the people and periodically they would close during the movie.  What I didn't understand why they would close, blocking the view from the people in the front row, since the image would be projecting on the white doors.

I remember I went up to get some food, which was like a little shack just to the right of us.  I went up, and they were offering hotdogs, mashed potatoes, and corn.  I ordered all three, and for some reason, I asked they be put in this order from bottom to top.

Corn
Mashed Potatoes
Hotdogs

I guess the hotdogs were the foundation to the potatoes, which held the corn on top.

The guy serving just could not understand what I was saying.  I kept saying I wanted the potatoes on top of the hot dogs.  So I eventually gave up, threw a little fit (like I do in WalMart whenever service is shitty), and went back to the car.

I then remember a second scene.  We were back in the station wagon car, and I found myself outside searching for something around the edge of field.  We were only allowed to be in the mowed lawn area, and search the outer edges of the field.

I remember looking at a lot of old game consoles like Play Station 2 consoles and Nintendo 64 consoles, just sitting outside and getting weathered.  I guess they have been outside for a while.  I remember searching specific cubby-holes, looking through things (I can't remember what those things are now, so I guess they aren't important.)

____________________________

I just woke up from a nap about a half hour ago wondering what the hell I just went through.

I was searching for a new dorm building at Capital.

I guess Capital had built its very own Meijer store (don't ask me why.)  This new Meijer building could serve the community, but it was intended for the students to use.

This new Meijer store had some suites in it (I guess you could call them.  They were more like condos).

Me and several other people had teamed up to get one of these.  First, all the beds were in the same 'living' room space, with all of our televisions on a single wall.

I was looking around and noticed there were several little "theme" areas around that could be used for our "rooms."  I went back up to the people and said, "Do we own the building from here to that edge wall?"  They said yes.  So I said, "why don't we take all of our stuff into these theme areas and pick one for each of us.  There looks like there are enough."

(I paraphrased that last part.)

So we did just that.  We all chose and debated who would get the art-deco style area, who would get the log-cabin area, and so on.

I then remember being in a new library type space at Capital, and walking out.  I remember filling out a form saying that both my parents should win some Jazz music award, and giving it to one of my current college professors here at Capital.  This doesn't make ANY sense because both my parents don't play music or sing.

I was walking out of the building holding something like a piece of hardware for a computer (I can't remember what, but I know I was holding something).  My college professor was discussing who should accept this Jazz award on a park picnic table.  I was walking back to the Meijer complex.

I then remember moved out of the Meijer complex, and somewhere else (I can't remember so it's probably not important.)  I was searching around for my car, and mom said it was still at Meijer, probably impounded for being there for so long.  I was furious and ran back to the service desk of the Meijer store demanding where my car was.  The lady gave me a printed ticket with a number on it explaining what lot and what number my car was parked at.  It was impounded, it was just moved.

Here's the really weird part.

I could either walk up a long flight of stairs, or I could ride the escalator without steps, kind of like a conveyer belt.  I opted for the stairs.  Then I was convinced to take the conveyer belt, which seemed odd to me because it was a fairly steep grade and would be impossible to stay on for long.

I then found a luxury car, like a Lincoln Town Car, in front of me, and several people holding on to it.  Someone said, "if you hold on to the car, you will stick to it and it will carry you up to the top."

I did just that, and lo and behold, it took me right to the top.  We went through a tunnel or two, and, maybe five minutes later, was at the top.

I remember trying to get my hand free from the car, and unable to.  I yanked and I yanked, but what I had managed to do was to get the car spinning in circles very fast.  I had eventually got myself free, but I almost landed on the conveyor belt, and I thought I was going to fall all the way back  down to the ground floor.

I found my car later.

Then I woke up.

_____________
I don't know what has gotten in to me, but it's quite funny.  I think I might keep posting my dreams for you to read.

The Death of a Nazarene

[This paper was for my Jesus Through the Ages class at Capital University, where I'm seeking a minor degree in religion.]

Jesse Harmon

RELIG 210

March 19, 2012

The Death of a Nazarene

Crucifixion: the worst and cruelest form of torture according to Cicero, who lived from 106-43 B.C.E.  Notice how he said torture and not death.  This paper will describe two pieces of art.  One is a digital piece, and the other is a sculpture made of metal.

Since this is Year B in the Lutheran lectionary, I have chose the Gospel of St. Mark, the fifteenth chapter, and beginning at the twenty-first verse.  Various verses have been removed.

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”)… And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS…

I can’t seem to find what the name of this, when it was created, or who created it.  I like this piece because it will show a stark contrast to the statue that is to follow.  This maybe a fairly new picture, either digital art, or pen and ink.   In this picture, Jesus is a very handsome man with a masculine jaw, trimmed beard, toned arms, chest, and legs.  He even has six pack abs.  I think the artist is trying to portray Jesus as a handsome man.  To me, it looks like the artist is trying to make Jesus sexy.  It looks like he’s Jersey Shore’s “Situation” of the early part of the previous millennium. 

            One of the more interesting things about this piece is the beauty of the women.  They are all very young.  Mary Magdalene, assumed to be the woman on the left, looks just as young as Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is probably next to her.  If you notice, Mary, the mother of Jesus, looks just as young, maybe even younger, than Jesus himself. 

Notice also that the pierce wound is on the left side of the body.  Why would the artist put it there?  I’ve noticed that many pictures of Jesus on the cross show the spear wound on the right side of his body.  I wonder if this has any significance.  There is a statue at my church where Jesus has his hands opened toward the altar, with the wounds in his hands and feet, and the spear wound on his right side.  There is also a stained glass window of Jesus on the cross with the spear wound on his right side.  Could this signify the “right hand of God?”

This picture shows the three characteristics of Beauty, Love, and Goodness.  The beauty of this piece is the faces and bodies of each person.  The love is the fact that the women are surrounding Jesus as he dies.  The goodness is the fact that Jesus actually died on the cross to save us from our sins.  The cross itself is also beautiful.  It’s not as rugged as expected.

            I don’t know what I would think of this picture if I wasn’t Christian and I had not heard about the story of Jesus.  It would be difficult for me to imagine someone being held onto a wooden T with nails through his hands and feet.  Why would he do such a thing?  Is this punishment?  Is this an act?  

The following comes from the Gospel of St. Mark, the fifteenth chapter, and beginning at the thirty-third verse.

At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

This image is actually a statue that comes from Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.  The first thing that you may notice about this statue is that Jesus only has one hand nailed to the cross, (I’ll go in depth on how crucifixion actually was).  Why would the artist do such a thing?  Well, it was probably created to give the sense that people weren’t always crucified in the same way.  I’ve seen many pictures of Jesus with nails in his wrists and heels, and I’ve seen many pictures of Jesus with nails in his hands and through his feet.

This statue is impossible.   If Jesus were really hung from the cross with a single nail through the palm, he would have fallen off.  If you take your finger, and press down in the center of your palm, and bring your finger upward, you’ll notice that there are two bones to the left and to the right of your finger, but your finger is unobstructed as you move toward the area between your fingers.  Now imagine the skin ripping itself apart as you do that.  You can see it wouldn’t be possible for someone to be held up on the cross with a nail in just one hand, let alone both hands.

The nails were most likely driven into his feet, as it would be nearly impossible to drive the nail into the ankle or leg bone of someone, although I saw a documentary once that had a heel fragment of someone with a nail still in the bone.  Although nailing someone’s wrists or forearms to the cross was not uncommon, people were usually hung with ropes around their wrists or forearms. 

Death usually came from suffocation, instead of blood loss.  Imagine you’re doing pull-ups in the Capital Center.  Instead of pulling yourself up, just hang there with your feet off of the ground.  Try breathing normally.  Now imagine what happens to your lungs when you do that.  They will get compressed inward because your ribcage is getting squashed.  This will cause great pain, and restrict the lungs from breathing properly.

This statue seems to be made of maybe aluminum or some sort of softer metal than can easily be hammered or molded into shape.  Jesus doesn’t look healthy at all.  His ribcage may have been exaggerated, but you can still almost feel the pain that he’s in.  His legs are bent at an extreme angle to prevent him from hoisting himself up on his feet, increasing the pain in his hand.  One can probably guess where Jesus is trying to reach his right hand to…I think he’s trying to reach out to God in Heaven to save him.  

In this picture, you can see how big the statue actually is.  From what I can guess it’s about 12 feet tall.  For comparison, if you look on the bottom right of the picture, you can see a man on the ground.  (From what I understand, he’s using a hair dryer to pull up wax off of the ground).  It looks as if the actual metal statue of Jesus is the size of an average man.

This statue, I think, shows evil, ugliness, and lies.  The evilness is the fact that Jesus was crucified.  The ugliness is the actual body of Jesus, being contorted and with a ribcage being shown.  The lies about this statue is the fact that Jesus is being held onto the cross with only one hand. 

This image is also difficult to comprehend if I did not know about the story of Jesus.  I think I would see a man being held onto this wooden T by two nails as punishment instead of execution.  What did he do to deserve this?  Did he murder someone?  Did he steal?  When in history did this happen?  He appears to have a towel around him.  Is this humiliation?

Both images show the same scene, but in very different ways.  The first picture shows Jesus as a sexy man, with three women surrounding him.  The second picture shows Jesus all alone and pleading to be saved.

Remember that Jesus was not only fully God, but he was fully human as well.  He felt emotion and he felt pain.  In fact, he actually prayed that God would spare him the death that was imminent.  The second image, even though it’s incorrect, shows the crucifixion as it actually was.  Jesus was in pain, and he was crying out to his father to save him. 

Works Cited

"Jesus Was Nailed to the Cross." The Jesus Police. The Jesus Police, 10 03 2006. Web. 4 Mar 2012.

Luther Versus Zwingli: A Critical Comparison of The Eucharist

[This paper was for my Reformation and Enlightenment class at Capital University, where I'm seeking a minor degree in religion.]

Jesse Harmon

RELIG 321

March 15, 2012

Luther Versus Zwingli: A Critical Comparison of the Eucharist

Luther and Zwingli’s views on the Eucharist, or communion, will be discussed.  This essay will compare Zwingli’s On True and False Religion, and Luther’s The Large Catechism.  Although both Luther and Zwingli were both very prominent protestant leaders who agreed on many things, Zwingli’s view on the Lord’s Supper was vastly different, and more liberal than Martin Luther’s view.

Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany.  He was originally a Catholic monk, who taught at the University of Wittenberg in Saxony, Germany. On July 17, 1505 after a near death experience, he decided to enter a monastery after studying law for a year.  As a professor, he lectured on various aspects of the Bible including Paul’s letters.  There were two specific verses that really struck him.  These verses were Romans 1:16-17, which states, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” 

This verse, along with the writings of Erasmus, set off Luther to write the 95 Theses, which he famously nailed to the doors of the University of Wittenberg, thus beginning the protestant reformation Luther died shortly after a stroke stole his ability to speak (Gallar, 2002.)

Ulrich Zwingli was born just nearly six weeks after the birth of Martin Luther, in Wildhaus, Switzerland, on January 1, 1484.  He is considered the leader of the Swiss reformation movement, which later became known as the Anabaptist movement.   Zwingli was ordained at the age of twenty-two in 1506.  He and Luther famously debated in Marburg in 1529.  They both agreed on fourteen of the fifteen debate topics, but clearly clashed on the discussion about the Eucharist, or communion.  Zwingli, who was very heavily into the politics of the time, was very stern on his belief that communion was nothing but symbolism of the actual event that took place the day before Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Zwingli died after being killed in a bloody battle fought by the Catholics against the Protestants in Switzerland.

            Martin Luther virtually started the reformation movement.  Even though Erasmus had previously written pamphlets on reforming the Catholic Church, Martin Luther really set things off by nailing his 95 Theses to the front doors of Wittenberg University in Germany.  Luther disagreed from withholding the cup from laity.  This practice began in 1416 AD ("Roman catholic doctrinal.”)  Martin Luther’s The Large Catechism, which was written to go a little more in depth on the Christian tradition, asked a question.  “What is the Sacrament of the Altar?”  Luther’s response is, “It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in and under the bread and wine, which we Christians are commanded by Christ’s Word to eat and to drink.”  As stated, Luther obviously believed that both the host and the cup should be taken by the communed.  Luther also states, “Take, eat; this is My body…Drink of it, all of you; this is My blood of the new testament,” (Luther, 1529.)

            According to The Lutheran Confessions blog, the Council of Lambeth in 1281 outlawed the serving of the cup to parishioners (McCain 2007.)  Why would the church withhold the cup from the laity?  Paul Timothy McCain, author of The Lutheran Confessions blog, as well as editor of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s edition of the Book of Concord, stated that the bread, or host, was good enough to serve to the laity.  However, it appears to the reader that McCain didn’t quite state exactly why the cup was withheld. 

A History of Christianity holds the answer.  In this book, the author states that the denial of the cup to the laity was because of the danger of simply spilling the wine Since Catholics believe in transubstantiation (which is the actual conversion of bread and wine to flesh and blood), many were afraid of spilling the newly converted blood.  Thus, priests started only serving the bread to the laity.  (Latourette 1975.)  Luther believes that, “[just] as we have said that Baptism is not simply water, so here also we say that though the Sacrament is bread and wine, it is not mere bread and wine, such as are ordinarily served at the table,” Luther stated after answering the question, “Now, what is the Sacrament of the Altar?”  Luther believed all believers should receive both the body and the blood of Jesus Christ, just like the original apostles did. 

            Luther believed the only sacrifice that one should have was at the Lord’s Table, and nothing else.  He believed the Catholic Church’s view on “good works and a sacrifice” was the “most wicked of all,” according to Trevin Wax’s blog post called, “Luther vs. Zwingli 2: Luther on the Lord’s Supper,” (Wax, 2008.)

            Zwingli (1484-1531), a much more mild and subdued Swiss man, was at work also reforming the church.  In his book called, On True and False Religion, (from 1525), he states his positions on the Eucharist.  First, he believes that, “[the church] will not even brook the question whether the body of Christ is in the sacrament of the Eucharist in actual, physical, or essential form,” (Zwingli, 1525.)  He states, “…I do not think we have to listen to those who are so bold as to say, ‘I have always firmly believed that in this sacrament I eat the essential body, or the bodily and sensible flesh, of Christ.’”  Zwingli is saying that he believes we should not listen to those who believe in transubstantiation (Zwingli 1525.) 

The Catholic Church believed the bread and the wine changed form into the body and blood of Christ.  They believed the accidents, or the senses, sensed the consistency of bread and wine.  Luther believed that the bread and wine contained the body and blood of Christ, but wasn’t actually converted into flesh and blood (a term called consubstantiation).  Zwingli believed the bread and wine symbolized the body and blood of Christ, with no conversion of bread to flesh, and wine to blood at all.  Zwingli later said, “I have no use for that notion of a real and true body that does not exist physically, definitely and distinctly in some places, and that sort of nonsense got up by word triflers.”  The Gospel of St. John, chapter six, verse sixty-three tells us, “It’s the spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no avail.”  This text shows that Zwingli thinks that it’s only the spirit that will save people (Payne, 1984.)  Luther, Zwingli claimed that many of his views were normal trains of thought. 

Zwingli believed that since Jesus rose into Heaven (where there is no time), and no longer on Earth (where there is time), Jesus is no longer limited by space and time.  Thus, he cannot be both in Heaven and on Earth at the same time, proving that he cannot be part of the bread and the wine of communion. 

There was no need for ceremonies and rituals since the bread and wine weren’t actually flesh and blood (Wax, 2008.)  “It is eaten spiritually,” Zwingli wrote.  “For body and spirit are such essentially different things that whichever one you take, it cannot be the other,” (Zwingli, 1525.)

            One of the more interesting things in On True and False Religion is when Zwingli states, “They err…in applying faith to things of sense, and in saying that through these it brings us certainty.”  He is quite clearly stating here that our senses should not govern our faith.  Zwingli was not troubled by his own soul like Luther was.  Luther was paranoid about his sins, while Zwingli wasn’t.  Zwingli was more worried about the salvation of his people, while Luther was more worried about the salvation of himself.

            What’s the purpose of all of this?  It is to show that Zwingli really took things far when he started his own reformation movement.  He claims that the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ are not present in the Eucharist.  This is completely against scripture which says, “…he took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘this cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you,” (The Gospel of St. Luke, the twenty second chapter, versus nineteen through twenty.)  The word is is the third person singular present form of the infinitive to be.  Is does not mean “not really.”  Zwingli had it all wrong when he decided he had had enough with the Catholic Church himself.  If he hadn’t started his own, there would probably be only two church bodies in the world today: Holy Catholic Church, and the Lutheran Church. 

Works Cited

Gallar, J. S. (2002, November 05). Martin Luther and the reformation. Retrieved from https://webspace.utexas.edu/gallerjs/www/LutherReformationLecture.html

Latourette, K. S. (1975). The history of Christianity: Volume 1. (p. 531). New York, NY:             HarperCollins Publishers. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=Q4pzuXCiDdYC&pg=RA1-PA231&lpg=RA1-PA231&dq=denying cup to             laity&source=bl&ots=iRpULaYCId&sig=dul-Zeau5SOIF1QQaDwAH9DPtCw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=g5FeT_maPIPc0QGt8oHJBw            &ved=0CCoQ6AEwAg

Luther, M. (2005). The large catechism. In P. McCain (Ed.), Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (pp. 622-624). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

McCain, P. T. (2007, August 07). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://bookofconcord.blogspot.com/2007/08/round-table-23-various-abuses-corrected.html

Payne, J. B. (1984). Zwingli and Luther: The giant vs. Hercules. Christianity Today International/Christian History magazine, Retrieved from http://www.christiantodaylibrary.com

Roman catholic doctrinal evolution: Doctrinal flip flops. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bible.ca/catholic-flip-flops-eucharist-withholding-communion-cup.htm

Wax, T. (2008, February 11). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2008/02/11/luther-vs-zwingli-2-luther-on-the-lords-supper/

Wax, T. (2008, February 12). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2008/02/12/luther-vs-zwingli-3-zwingli-on-the-lords-supper/

Zwingli, U. (1525). On true and false religion. In D. R. Janz (Ed.), A Reformation Reader (pp. 193-198)

Psalms 40-49

I learned in Foundations of Religion class last semester that Psalm 40 is a psalm of praise or a hymn.  Of course, all psalms were meant to be sung.

Psalm 40:11-13Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth always protect me.  For troubles without number surround me, my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.  They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.  Be pleased, O Lord, to save me; O lord, come quickly to help me.

Whenever I'm having a down day, I pray that God will help me get through it.  Because I'm on this new medicine called Viibryd, I've been feeling a little better.  I still pray that God will get me through each day without any troubles.

Psalm 40:15-17May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be appalled at their own shame.  But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those w ho love your salvation always say, "The Lord be exalted!"  Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me.  You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

Psalms 30-39

Psalm 30 is a psalm of Thanksgiving.

Psalm 30:5...weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

This reminds me of a Cash song.

Psalm 32:7You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 33:2Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringled lyre.  Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

I have to constantly remind myself that guitars are allowed in church.  I grew up in a traditional church with a pipe organ, piano, and choir.  Although I'm not a fan of contemporary church services, I still need to remind myself that they are another way of worshipping God.  If you read any of my older posts, you can see that my view has changed.  I used to be a die-hard traditionalist, who thought that contemporary worship was of the Devil.  I don't think that way anymore, (at least I don't try to).

Psalms 20-29

Psalm 20:7
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.


Selah- I saw this a couple of times today.  According to Wikipedia (the most reliable place on the interwebz,) Selah is difficult to translate.  It could possibly mean "stop and listen," or "pause and reflect."  Some people even say it is a means of signaling a musical interlude, since the Psalms were meant to be sung originally.

Psalm 22:1
My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?


If you know anything about the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, when Jesus cries out his last, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani!" you know this means, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"

Interesting that in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, Jesus shouts out words from the book of Psalms.  However, in other gospels, Jesus says other stuff.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says, "Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46).

Finally, in the Gospel of John, Jesus says, "It is finished." (John 19:30).  Earlier in John, Jesus also says, "I am thirsty." (John 19:28).

Why do all the gospels say something different?

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear?   The Lord is the stronghold of my life -- of whom shall I be afraid?


I'm reminded of the campfire song that we used to sing at Lutheran Memorial Camp.

The Lord is my rock and my salvation
The Lord is the strength of my light.
The Lord is my rock and my salvation
The Lord is the strength of my light.

Of whom shall I fear?
Of whom shall I be afraid?
Of whom shall I fear?
Of whom shall I be afraid?
Of whom shall I fear?
Of whom shall I be afraid?
Of whom shall I fear?
Of whom shall I be afraid?

Then the song continues in canon (or different parts singing the same thing at different times).  It was pretty cool when there were four different parts going on at the same time.  I can even remember the choreography to it.



EDIT:  I was reading Saturday March 24th's Our Daily Bread entry, written by David Roper.  Here it is.

Years ago when I was a student at the University of California at Berkeley, I developed a friendship with a fellow student who had suffered a terrible loss.  His child had died and his wife had left him because she couldn't deal with the pain.

One day, as my friend and I were walking down the street, we found ourselves behind a disheveled mother with a grubby little boy in hand.  She was angry at the child and was walking too fast, towing him at a pace his little legs couldn't maintain.

We reached a busy intersection where the child abruptly stopped and his hand slipped out of his mother's grasp.  She turned around, spat out a curse, and trudged on.  The little boy sat down on the curb and burst into tears.  Without a moment's hesitation, my friend sat down next to the boy and gather the little guy in his arms.

The woman turned and, looking at the child, began to curse again.  My friend sighed and looked up.  "Lady," he said softly, "If you don't want him, I'll take him."

So it is with our Father in Heaven.  He too has known great loss and loves us just as tenderly.  Even if our friends and family forsake us, our God never will (Ps. 27:10).  We are ever in His care.

______
I'm searching for an internship for my college curriculum.  I am required to complete at least 210 hours of work somewhere in my field, which is music technology.  Pray that I find one that will be beneficial to my future career.  Thanks.

Psalms 6-19

I've decided to go through all the Psalms, ten at a time.  Because I only did five Psalms last time, I have to make up for lost time.

Both Psalm 8, 9, and 10 need to be completely highlighted in my Bible.

Psalm 9:9

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Psalm 10:12 

Arise, Lord!  Lift up your hand, O God.  Do not forget the helpless.  Why does the wicked man revile God?  Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account?"  But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand.

Psalm 12:8 

The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

Hatred and greed.

Psalm 13: 1-2 

How long, O Lord?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?  How long will my enemy triumph over me?

I pray this something like this a lot.  When I'm feeling alone, I pray to God why I don't feel welcomed.  I pray why I don't feel loved by people.  Yes it may just be my depression talking.

But then I read this......

Psalm 13:6 

I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.

Ah, yes.  He's been very good.  Warm bed, car, good food, friends, electricity, television.....computer......uh.....iPod.......college.......other stuff......

Psalms 1-5

I was talking with the campus pastor on Thursday and she told me she was reading through the Psalms.  I've decided I'm going to do that as well and give some reflections on them.

PSALM 1

Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

 What a great line to start out the book of Psalms.  This psalm is saying we should not follow evil.  Simple as that.

Psalm 4:1
Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God.  Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

Whenever I pray, it's usually about my worries and fears.  I pray that my car won't peter out (it has a leak in the radiator hose now).  I pray that I get an internship for my music technology curriculum.  I pray for forgiveness for my sins that I constantly commit every day.

Psalm 5 is interesting.

Psalm 5:2-12
Listen to my cry for help, my king, and my God, for to you I pray.  In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.  You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.  The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.  You destroy those who tell lies; blood thirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors.  But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.  Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies -- make straight your way before me.  Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction.  Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.  Declare them guilty, O God!  Let their intrigues be their downfall.  Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.  But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.  Spread your protection over them, that those who have your name may rejoice in you.  For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

In case you don't know, I like to write music, but I only do if I'm inspired.  This verse sort of inspires me.  I'm going to try to write some song verses down and see where it takes me.


Listen for my cry.  My heart is troubled
Listen for my prayer.  My heart's is in pain.
I will come to your house and I will worship
and let us not take your name in vain.

Spread your love over us, O God!
For you are the one we love
Let those who surround may rejoice you
Send your spirit down like a dove.

For surely, O Lord, bless the righteous
surround them with your holy shield
Let all who take refuge be glad,
and let your word be fulfilled.

Jude's Letter

It's kind of chilly outside today, so I'm in the Mezz at Capital University.  Jude wrote this letter to let Christians know that although they're saved, the can't go around and do bad things.

Titus 1:5
I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.

Titus 1:18-19
..."In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.  These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit."

Don't we all do that?  Don't we all follow ungodly desires?  I know I do.

What does it mean when it says "who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit?"  Does this mean we are to not follow what the body is to instinctively do?  Are not to "fight or flight?"  Are we to not follow our sexual desires, (which we shouldn't before marriage anyway)?  Are we to not feed ourselves whenever we're hungry?

Hebrews

I will be sharing some reflections on the book of Hebrews today.

Hebrews was written by Paul to help strengthen the faith of early Christians.  Jesus here is referred to as a High Priest, much like Melchizadek in the Old Testament.

Hebrews 5: 12
 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again.  You need milk, not solid food!

Oh the Lord knows how elementary I am with Christianity.  I think all of us still have a lot of learning to do.

Hebrews 6:1
Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God...

Dear Lord, help me mature.

Hebrews 6:10
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.


If you read my blog, you'll know that I love doing what's called Kindness Outreaches.  At church, we have cards that we use to buy other people's food for them.  It's a good way to show God's love.

I just hope that God will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," when it's my time to leave.

Titus

I will be reflecting on the book of Titus today.  Today, I'm sitting under a big tree at Capital University near the Blackmore Library.

Titus was written by Paul to Titus, telling him to appoint pastors.  He also tells him to obey the government and be gentle.

Titus 1: 7-8
Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless - not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.  Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.  

Titus 3:9
[Avoid] foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.

Not much to say here today.  These few verses were the ones that struck me as being important.

Justin Bieber Doesn't Need To Go To Church

I saw this posted on another blog (here).  Apparently, Justin Bieber doesn't feel the need to go to church.  Here's an article on it.

In a coming of age cover story photographed by Inez & Vinoodh, the soon to be 18-year-old pop singer discussed his rising fame, paternity suit controversy, and his views on faith and religion.

Bieber, an unabashed Christian, is known not to shy away from his beliefs in public, seen in his candid declarations of faith in Jesus, whom he believes died for his sins, to his visits to the holy land of Israel.

Most recently, the Canadian star turned heads again with a new tattoo – the face of Jesus Christ adorning the back of his calf.

With more to say about his faith, Bieber, who is currently recording his next album Believe, told V Magazine, according to the New York Post, “A lot of people who are religious, I think they get lost. They go to church just to go to church.”

“I’m not trying to disrespect them ... but for me, I focus more on praying and talking to Him. I don’t have to go to church.”

Responding to his statement, Dan Kimball, pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, Calif., told The Christian Post that he agreed and disagreed with what Bieber was saying.

“[E]very Christian according to the New Testament is to be in some form of structured local church, whether a house church or large church,” the pastor stated. “We are not meant to be following Jesus without being in a Christian community, where if we are not there part of it, we are missed and noticed.”

“I do agree with him that some Christians can see ‘going to church’ as the basis for their faith, and that then becomes incorrect theology too,” Kimball noted.

Justin has got this all wrong. 

Matthew 18:20“Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them”

There's a verse in Hebrews that states,

"And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. "

I have spent about half an hour searching my Pastor's blog that features a sermon he gave to my church just weeks after being installed as pastor back in 2007.  I think I found it.

I hope he doesn't mind I copy and paste this here.

Preparing For Jesus