O, Sacred Head Now Wounded

**This is a personal website and reflects my thoughts and convictions. It does not represent any official position held by Youth With A Mission.**

When Marti and I were first married we spent several months in Northern Ireland, a deeply enriching experience. Although I had grown up in a Christian family, I met Christian men in Northern Ireland who were very different. So many of them had a tenderness mixed with their unmistakable masculinity. I had never heard men talk about the beauty of bird-song or discuss poetry. I must add that my own dad loved poetry, but I don’t think he found like-minded men among his friends. Those Irish men inspired me!

We stayed in touch with many friends in N.I. and visited regularly for years afterward. At one point we had the great privilege of close relationship with a large fellowship which had emerged out of the move of the Holy Spirit in the 1970s. The fellowship was packed with very gifted musicians and they had a wonderful ability to find outstanding historical hymns and to then put them to modern (updated) melodies—often with a strong beat. As I think about it now I can still visualize and hear their meeting hall filled with joyful music, their stamping feet keeping rhythm along with the drums and men praising God with all their might.

Since then, I have been drawn to any efforts to resurrect some of the wonderful old hymns – – hymns that are moving and convey Biblical truths and often excellent theology. I have listened again and again to The Second Chapter of Acts and their two volumes of hymns. To my great joy, I recently happened across another group of musicians who have given new life to some old hymns. Their two volumes of hymns were recorded more than a decade ago, but I just found them via Spotify.

One hymn in particular moved me to tears the first couple of times I heard it. “O Sacred Head Now Wounded” was written nearly a thousand years ago by Bernard of Clairvaux. It has been set to different music from time to time in the intervening centuries. The Africa-born group, Selah, have produced a deeply inspirational version with a great arrangement and perfectly matched vocals.

The YouTube link below will enable you to read and meditate on the ancient lyrics, packed with deep content. I hope you have the time to listen again and again and let the Holy Spirit draw you closer to Jesus!

Lynn Green.

September 30, 2018

Nebuchadnezzar Alive and Well?

**This is a personal website and reflects my thoughts and convictions. It does not represent any official position held by Youth With A Mission.**

Have you been following the rise of Xi Jinping? He is the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of the People’s Republic of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. He is also known as the Paramount Leader, or the Core Leader of China. As has been said many times, he is the most powerful leader of China since Chairman Mao.

The New Zealand Herald explained, “China’s Communist Party doesn’t like difference. So it has set about eradicating any trace of it among its 1.38 billion population.

“First they moved on Tibet. Its ancient spirituality and unique identity has been suppressed for decades. Its remaining leadership has long since been co-opted by the Party.

“China’s Christian community has also long been a source of embarrassment. The Bible has been banned. Crosses must not be displayed in public. Its leadership must be approved by the Communist Party. Its teachings must now conform to Party ideals, news.com.au reports.

“ But, for the moment, Beijing has another ancient community in its sights: the Uighurs. China invaded the East Turkestan Republic in 1949. It’s now named Xinjiang province, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

Several other media outlets have reported that up to a million Uighurs are in prison camps, primarily because they practice Islam.

Sometimes we think Christians are the only ones being persecuted for their faith, but the Chinese Communist Party does not limit its restrictions to Christians. They are out to eradicate all faith. President Xi has made it very clear that no Communist Party member can practice any religion.

I have had the opportunity recently to ask several Chinese citizens about these developments and it seems clear to them that their President wants absolute loyalty to himself. Shades of Caesar, or Kim Jong-un!

What do we make of this aspiration to be venerated as a God? For ordinary people like me—or you, I assume—the idea of wanting to be worshipped is preposterous. But I suppose that is because we have never been even close to enough power to awaken that ambition. But a quick over-view of history confirms that powerful men (not usually women) often want more and more loyalty, then adulation, then worship. It illustrates that human pride knows no bounds.

Or perhaps it illustrates that recognition by others or even their worship can never satisfy the hunger for assurance that we are significant. We could call it the Nebuchadnezzar syndrome.

You can read the first 6 chapters of the book of Daniel, in the Bible, in less than 30 minutes and it provides a fascinating study into the search for power and then worship. Variations on the theme have been played out countless times in human history. In some cases, the stage has been huge—as with Caesar, or Nebuchadnezzar, but it happens in smaller circles as well. It takes the form of leaders who will not stand for any criticism or variance from their views.

In the end though, the over-riding truth was declared by Nebuchadnezzar himself in Daniel 4:37. He had just recovered from God’s judgment on his pride: seven years of insanity, living as an animal. What had he learned?

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honour the King of Heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”

May all who exercise any authority over others TAKE NOTE!

Lynn Green.

September 24, 2018