Gethsemane
In a back corner of the Garden of Gethsemane, amongst the 2500+ year old olive trees that still bear fruit, you will find a small sculpture/relief embedded into an ancient stone wall. Both times I have been blessed to walk in that garden, the sculpture has grabbed my attention and mesmerized me.What would I have done while Christ prayed? Would I have stayed awake and prayed for him? Or would I, like the disciples, have drifted off to sleep, and left him alone...foreshadowing the desertion to come.
Merciful God, grant me the strength to remain awake during this holy week at Christ's side. May I have the courage to journey with him to the cross. Amen.
Go to dark Gethsemane, all who feel the tempter's pow'r;
Your Redeemer's conflict see, watch with him one bitter hour.
Turn not from his griefs away - learn of Jesus Christ to pray.
Follow to the judgement hall, view the Lord of life arraigned.
O the wormwood and the gall! O the pangs his soul sustained!
Shun not suff'ring, shame, or loss - learn of him to bear the cross.
Calv'ry's mournful mountain climb; there, adoring at his feet,
Mark the miracle of time, God's own sacrifice complete.
"It is finished!" hear him cry - learn of Jesus Christ to die.
-James Montgomery, 1771-1854
posted by Unknown @ 1:33 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
My church has a 24 hr prayer vigil each year (we call it a prayer celebration). As the coordinator of it I find myself often filling in when I can't recruit someone for a specific time. Although I like the prayer time, I find it REALLY hard to pray continuously for hour long periods a few times in one day. I am not sure how I would do either, but I hope my short-comings would fall into the grace category of forgiveness.
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