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March - “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”

Lyrics

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!

Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!

Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!

Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!

Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!

Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!

Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!

Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!

Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!

Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!

Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

(Charles Wesley, 1708)

March Bible Memory Verses

Matthew 28:6 (ESV)

“He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”

1 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

Hymn Story

Can you imagine being the 18th child in your family? Well, Charles Wesley, the man who wrote this famous Easter hymn, could say that he was! His birthday was also the 18th day of December. He was born in Epworth, England in 1707. When he was only nine years old, he went to boarding school at Westminster School. He later studied at Oxford University and became a college tutor.

“Christ the Lord is Risen Today” was originally called “Hymn for Easter Day”. It was first sung at a church service and then was printed in a book called “Hymns and Sacred Poems” by Charles and his brother John in 1739. He and his brother were a powerful writing team! They began the Methodist Church movement.

Wesley was inspired by an older hymn he knew called “Jesus Christ is Risen Today”. He wrote eleven verses, but over the years it became six. We are learning four this month! The melody we most often use was written by someone else (no one is quite sure who!) several years before in 1708. It is called “Easter Hymn”.

We can sing this hymn all year round. But we love to sing it best with our church family on Easter morning! We are learning it during the month of March this year to prepare ourselves for Easter Sunday in April.

Something to Think About

I loved to visit big old houses and their gorgeous gardens when I was younger; I still do. Here in Northern Ireland, we have quite a few that are hundreds of years old. Many have little gatehouses beside the main gate at the entrance to all the land. There, someone would work and also often live. It would be where visitors would first check in before going on to the main house.

In some ways, the time we spend living here on earth is like being at a gatehouse. It is a home: a place to live and work and plant and grow. But it is here primarily to lead to another, greater home. The gatehouse is not the final destination. Being home with the Lord in heaven is!

Every verse of this hymn keeps filling our thoughts with heaven and our life with the Lord Jesus. See if you can find some examples! Here are a few to get you started:

-In verse 1, earth and heaven are singing together.

-In verse 2, Christ has opened paradise; He is the gate we walk through into heaven.

So, we sing to praise Him for all He has done: for rising again and opening the gate, that we could come into His home. We sing to remind ourselves that there is so much more than what we see here today.

Just like the last book of the Chronicles of Narnia, ‘The Last Battle’ - the followers of Aslan finally entered their home in Aslan’s country and found ‘The further up and the further in you go, the bigger everything gets. The inside is larger than the outside.’

Prayer

Father in heaven,

Thank You for sending Your Son, who died on the cross and rose again.

Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who lives within all who follow You, bringing us life!

Lord, it is You who make us strong as we trust in You. Help us to trust in You more, and to have courage. Just like Your disciples did, who saw Christ after He rose on the third day. Their lives were changed forever as they completely followed You!

As all of creation, Your Word, and Your Son tell of Your goodness, may our lives do the same. May we always sing Your praises. May our thoughts, words, deeds, and steps tell of the amazing life You have given.

In the name of Jesus, who rose again and will come again soon,

Amen

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February 2021
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