Two poems by Herbert:

Christmas (I)

After all pleasures as I rid one day,
My horse and I, both tired, body and mind,
With full cry of affections, quite astray;
I took up the next inn I could find.

There when I came, whom found I but my dear,
My dearest Lord, expecting till the grief
Of pleasures brought me to Him, ready there
To be all passengers’ most sweet relief?

Oh Thou, whose glorious, yet contracted light,
Wrapt in night’s mantle, stole into a manger;
Since my dark soul and brutish is Thy right,
To man of all beasts be not Thou a stranger:

Furnish and deck my soul, that Thou mayst have
A better lodging, than a rack, or grave.

Christmas (II)

The shepherds sing; and shall I silent be?
My God, no hymn for Thee?
My soul’s a shepherd too; a flock it feeds
Of thoughts, and words, and deeds.
The pasture is Thy word: the streams, Thy grace
Enriching all the place.
Shepherd and flock shall sing, and all my powers
Outsing the daylight hours.
Then will we chide the sun for letting night
Take up his place and right:
We sing one common Lord; wherefore he should
Himself the candle hold.
I will go searching, till I find a sun
Shall stay, till we have done;
A willing shiner, that shall shine as gladly,
As frost-nipped suns look sadly.
Then will we sing, and shine all our own day,
And one another pay:
His beams shall cheer my breast, and both so twine,
Till ev’n His beams sing, and my music shine.

The Collect for the Second Sunday in Advent

BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

(Open Bible by: DrGBB)

Here’s Herbert’s poem for Easter. It was originally printed vertically on the pages, formatted like this so that it formed to sets of wins. The set of wings on the left was printed on one page (to be read first) and the other set on the facing page: I had to make it an image to post in the original format:

Touchstone’s Blog posted Herbert’s poem on the crucifixion today.

They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”… Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Jesus’ work as Prophet, Priest and King is now continued on the earth by the power of the Holy Spirit in Christ’s Body, the Church. The Church is to proclaim the Gospel of the Prophet, She is a royal priesthood under the High Priest of Jesus and She is an Ambassador for Christ, Citizens of the Kingdom of God. The ministry of all the Baptized is the continuation of these offices as Christ’s Body to the World, so we pray in the Great Thanksgiving, “As this bread is Christ’s body for us, may we be Christ’s body to the world.” (Great Thanksgiving from the Book of Common Worship) As those charged with the prophetic task of proclaiming the Gospel, we share the story of Christ to the World and preach the mystery to the powers and principalities. As a royal priesthood we continually offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. We intercede for the world around us. We remind the world of God’s Law. As servants of the King we live a life of obedience that is different from those around us. We work to build the imminent Kingdom of the prince of peace by doing the work Christ did, teaching, healing and serving. We walk in this life through prayer, scripture reading and corporate worship.

In addition to the ministry of all the Baptized, the Church is given the gift of leaders for her well being. Although the church has ordered Her ministry differently in various traditions, the basic ministry, roughly parallel to prophet, priest and king, is that of Word, Sacrament and Order.

Ministers are entrusted to guard the Revelation that was preached by the Apostles and handed down through the ages. Ministers are to proclaim the Gospel message in a way that is relevant to each age, though without adding to or taking away from the Words of Life. Ministers also administer the sacraments to God’s people. They distribute the gifts of God to His people in His name. Additionally, so that all things may be done “decently and in order,” the Church is given officers who keep order and discipline within the bounds of the community. The tasks of ministry are not merely human endeavors, for in proclaiming the gospel, in celebrating the sacraments and exercising the power of the keys it is Christ Himself who is ministering. Christ Himself speaks to the Church, is present in the covenant signs and in the decisions of rule. “Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God.” (I Peter 4:11) “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?” (I Corinthians 10:16) And in Matthew 18, Jesus teaches on Church discipline with the promise that “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The Church’s foundational service to God is regular corporate worship on the Lord’s Day. In this gathering we again meet the risen Christ on our way, He shares again with us Scripture and is seen in the breaking of bread. The Church is wherever the presence of Christ is. It is the Living Word spoken by the Father and empowered by the Spirit that calls the Church into existence. “Wherever we see the word of God sincerely preached and heard, wherever we see the sacraments administered according to the institution of Christ”, in other words, we find the Church when Emmaus is relived. (Calvin’s Institutes, 4.1.9)

The Lord’s Supper is the defining aspect of Christian worship. Although the table is never separated from the pulpit, the acts of Taking, Blessing, Breaking and Giving order the Church’s Liturgy and gives shape to Her whole life. In the Eucharist we render our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13:15) In the Feast of Holy Communion we are united with the Christ who is truly present and all who are baptized in His name. At the Lord’s Supper we “do this in remembrance of the Lord” who paid the sacrifice for us and called us into Covenant. This sacred meal brings time into eternity, we look back in remembrance of the Lord’s earthly life, and we share union with Christ in the present and look forward to the future “when we shall feast with Him in glory.” (Great Thanksgiving from the Book of Common Worship)

This brings us back to Advent when we remember and long for our coming Savior. The Christian life is about what Christ has done and continues to do in and through us. Christ continually forms us through the gifts of the Church. He calls us deeper into union with Him through His Covenant. As we are gathered into Christ, we are taken into the whole of the Holy Trinity. The part we play is small. It is not passive, it is prayer, hope, rest, study, eat, and work. But it is God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who creates, redeems and sanctifies us. We are brought into this Life simply by receiving this amazing Grace through an active faith, which itself is a gracious gift from the One who saves.

Pentecost

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit

Jesus promised us, His disciples, that He would send “another.” At Pentecost, the church was strengthened for her mission as the Holy Spirit was poured out in the upper room. The Spirit is God’s continued presence and power dwelling in His Church, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16) This is not to say that God the Holy Spirit is confined to the Church, but it is the power of Christ working in us. God the Holy Spirit is active in the World, calling, convicting, teaching, encouraging, gifting – bringing about God’s will.

Ascension

Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.

The Lord who began his descent of humility in His incarnation completes His ascension of exaltation as He ascends to sit “at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” Christ is now reigning in power from Heaven. He is now “above every name.” (Philippians 2:9) Jesus the Messiah continues to reign as King, intercede for us as Priest and speak to us as Prophet.
In addition to His continued rule, Christ now glorifies humanity by taking part of us into Heaven. Since we believe in the “resurrection of the body,” Jesus did not throw off His body like an old rag. Rather, in His Bodily Ascension, He has taken our full humanity into the place of highest glory. We are exalted since our common humanity in Christ has been exalted. This should affect deeply how we view and treat our bodies.

Resurrection of the Lord

Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war…on his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

To say Christ is King is to accept the rule of Jesus in every aspect of our lives: politically, morally, financially etc… The Son of David and Son of God reigns over all the universe, including the powers and principalities, governments, economies and corporations of the world. Although not all recognize His legitimate authority, Christ has reclaimed His creation and is establishing His Kingdom.

In His resurrection, Jesus killed death and destroyed sin. We who are used to monarchs as mere figureheads forget the military leadership implied by the title king. This aspect still survives in our president’s office of “Commander in Chief.” A king was often a king because he was a victorious general. Christ’s victory over sin and death in His resurrection established His Kingdom. “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.” (Ephesians 4:8) Christ gives to His people the gift of eternal life. He became as we are, so we can be as He is.

Good Friday

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Christ is not only our Prophet; He is also the Fulfillment of the Priesthood. He is our High Priest who offered up the perfect sacrifice. As the Priest, Jesus sacrificed His own sinless self on behalf of the whole world. This perfect sacrifice is sufficient to cover the sins of all. Not only that, but Jesus was also the True Temple, the One in whom God “tabernacled among us.” (John 2:21 & 1:14)

In the Cross a profound transformation occurred in all reality, its effect is eternal. The cross not only reaches to the future but also back through time so He is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” The curse on Creation is lifted as Christ becomes accursed.” In our union with Christ, our sins are transferred to Him and destroyed in the Cross; His obedience is imputed to those who receive it through faith.

Maundy Thursday

Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you.

Christ means “the anointed one.” This is no honorary title for Jesus, but shows the offices the Lord fulfills. In the Hebrew Scriptures people were anointed to the offices of Prophet, Priest and King. (I Kings 19:16, Exodus 29:7, II Samuel 2:4) Jesus is the Messiah that fulfills each of these offices; His anointing was to the full ministry of our redemption through the exercise of these offices. In looking at the events surrounding the cross we see most clearly Jesus’ work of Prophet, Priest and King although He did (and continues) the work of each throughout His life.

On the night He was betrayed our Lord gave us a new commandment and established His new Covenant with us. Jesus as prophet speaks God’s Word perfectly: “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing.” (John 5:19) Moreover, Jesus is Himself the Word of God. (John 1:1) Jesus showed in Himself who God is.

Jesus is shown to be like Moses, giving God’s New Covenant and interpreting God’s commandments. (Matthew arguably is arranged to be parallel to the Torah and Jesus continually says, “You have heard…but I say unto you.”) But Christ not only makes the New Covenant with us, He seals it in His own precious blood. Where the Old Covenant was entered into through circumcision and commemorated in Passover, the New is marked with Baptism and remembered in the Eucharist.