I wrote this to open our worship on Easter Sunday 2021.
05/04/33 T. M. Suffield A day of shadows, hope was kept at bay the weary sun’s attempted upward rise akin to our heart’s toil to comprehend a sign above bare scoffed “The King of the Jews” heavy is the head that wears a crown of thorns and nails his orb and sceptre; rags his robe The third of April, AD thirty three A traitor hung alone on blighted tree Chill dawned day; sunlight never bright again Like all the songs were silenced, stillness reigned The waiting world she reels she mourns; us too In vain we hoped for endings, wished for spring Ground under sin’s iron strain, our load to bear We work and work in stiff grim regimen The King of the cosmos his heart without beat The Son of God became a sack of meat On Saturday’s dawn long held hopes seem dashed His fate sealed finally with Roman rock This backwoods preacher stopped as he began Another failed Adam claims his grave Forever languishing in stone-walled gloom All light extinguished in an ice-cold tomb The heavens watched on; earth she held her breath Whispered the question, “Can life come from death?” A hope we never hoped solidified A bloodied crusted eyelid opened wide Light then dawning bright; a spiked hand quivered From death’s callous fist we are delivered A stern reply to sins unholy curse Hell’s heavy burden left at heaven’s gate Redeemed Eve’s daughters, rescued Adam’s sons He gathered God’s brood, gleaned a mighty throng The Spirit poured out in a tomb of stone To gift us God in the heavens; God in your bones The final Adam’s promised victory A throne filled, hope is birthed, a king of mirth Joy’s precious herald to the last and least The heel to stamp the snake and down it goes Victorious he stormed the devil’s den Fell-handed hero wreaked the dragon’s fall The Son descended, solving our deep need His blood shed for us, great his joy to bleed An end to shame, an end to brutish sin The blood-bought fruit of Jesus’ sovereignty Our peace, our joy, our treasured liberty Repentance’s tonic our sweet gift of faith Unearned, unmerited, free gift of love His cost, our benefit, new life to live Our splendid Sunrise, announced his new day Scarlet sins now like snow freshly driven Sisters, brothers! O, Church! He is risen!
nuakh 