My Lenten devotional this year is the Passíusálmar, an Icelandic Lutheran collection of hymns by Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614-1674). They are considered to be among the finest works of Lutheran hymnody, as well as the pinnacle of 17th Century Icelandic literature. Today they are central to Icelandic Lenten worship.I am not an expert on devotional worship, but have applied what I have learned of lectio divina to the quiet, meditational reading of these hymns. Here is a selection from the introductory hymn “Christ goes to the Garden [of Gethsemane]”. Petursson writes:
Since Jesus gave His latest breath
To save me from eternal death,
Should not the powers He thus renewed
Show forth to Him my gratitude?
At last repentance rends my heart,
How poorly have I played my part!
What Jesus suffered in my place
I oft forget, -- to my disgrace!
What a vivid expression of the depravity of humanity before the sacrifice of Christ! In the context of Jesus' mournful prayer, Petursson puts into our lips the guilt that we all share as sinners:
My conscience smites me with the thought
That hereby was my freedom bought.
‘Twas sin of mine that tortured Thee,
All that Thy suffering was for me!
Oh, how I grieve that deeds of mine
Should fill with gall that cup of Thine!
The purpose of such careful devotional prayer is to remind ourselves of essential Christian truths. Among them is that each of us is responsible for the nails in Christ’s hands.
My hope is that through this devotional practice, I shall more fully be convicted and sanctified in the sacred time of Lent.
5 comments:
It's amazing to me how much I've seen, read, and heard recently about devotional worship.
My son John (the musician) is writing a paper in college on "The Death of Virtuosity in Christian Music."
He composes and arranges "Symphonic Rock" music (think Thans-Siberian Orchestra www.trans-Siberian.com ) and thinks that all Christian music should be to the fullest worship capability possible.
I'll have to say, I agree with him. I can't listen to "Christmas in Sarajevo" without my heart nearly bursting with worship. Indeed, the whole CD does this for me!
They don't write 'em like they use to.
Indeed they don't.
A pity that I can't read it in the original Icelandic.
I have the hymn book dated 1876. It is written in icelandic!! If you have questions tmacinspections@hotmail.com
I'm using it this year. I want get to the point where I can read and understand the original Icelandic. Some say this translation (I'm using Arthur Charles Cook's) isn't the best.
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