The Prayer of St. Patrick: Christ beside me, Christ to win me
"If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." -Psalm 139:8-10
In the original text of St. Patrick's prayer, "Christ beside me" was "Christ on my right, Christ on my left." Cecil Alexander compressed the two lines in the hymn version in 1889, and sacrificed the explicit reminder that Christ is on both sides. Christ makes every step of the journey at our sides, known or unknown. He who walks beside me sees, and my perspective.
When you think of small children, they are comforted when their parents are beside them; especially when they are scared, it's reassuring for them. When Jesus is beside us is provides the right kind of reassurance we need, and that we see in so many biblical stories of encounters with divine messengers: "Do not be afraid." It is the ministry of presence, it is a comfort that not even words can achieve. It's what we offer those who mourn, those who are sick and dying, those who are questioning, those who are discouraged. It is a humble, human-sized imitation of Christ, who walks beside us, empowering us with unutterable love. Phil Hines tells the humorous story about Jesus walking along a road one day and seeing a man crying. When asked what was wrong, the man replied, “I’m blind” so Jesus healed him. Further on down the road he met another man in tears and asked him the same question as the other man. He replied, “I’m lame”, so Jesus healed him. Then Jesus encountered another man weeping. In response to Jesus’ question he said, “I’m a pastor.” So Jesus sat down next to him and wept right along with him. He who walks beside us, knows our needs.
Jesus has entered into the journey with us, he is our traveling buddy, he goes everywhere we go. We also have each other, the church, God's children. As God's children we stand beside each other, and beside Christ who has promised to be our buddy on the journey even when the others leave. When we stand at Jesus' side like a little child, we find our protection, and validation, and our TRUE identity.
Should we ever stray from his side he comes after us. John Donne's "Holy Sonnet XIV" a prayer to which the speaker urges God to wrest him from the enemy who has captured him in battle and holds him with a grip that only God is able to break. It is up to God to win the battle, and to win us. As humans it is impossible for us to win the battle against evil, Christ must do it for us. I am reminded of the song, "In Christ Alone," where "no power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck us from his hand!" I love John 3:17 "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." He came to win the world. The theological truth is that Jesus as accomplished my justification and "won" my salvation. The day we were saved, was the day Jesus died! All we have to do is accept Him, Jesus, as our personal Lord and Savior. "as He stands in victory sin's curse has lost its grip on me, for I am His and He is mine - bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath. Jesus commands my destiny." "Christ to win me" leaves room for questioning about when and how the winning takes place. Christ has won me, He continues to win me, and does battle for me daily. AMEN!
Our creator delights in his creation, He desires us, and calls us His friends. He is the one who finds us, wins us, and prepares a home for us, and gathers us up into his care. Oddly, we are His prize. We've been chosen like the disciples; we've been fought for, worked for, wooed, and won! We have been called by name, and we are his!
Christ beside me, Christ to win me.
In the original text of St. Patrick's prayer, "Christ beside me" was "Christ on my right, Christ on my left." Cecil Alexander compressed the two lines in the hymn version in 1889, and sacrificed the explicit reminder that Christ is on both sides. Christ makes every step of the journey at our sides, known or unknown. He who walks beside me sees, and my perspective.
When you think of small children, they are comforted when their parents are beside them; especially when they are scared, it's reassuring for them. When Jesus is beside us is provides the right kind of reassurance we need, and that we see in so many biblical stories of encounters with divine messengers: "Do not be afraid." It is the ministry of presence, it is a comfort that not even words can achieve. It's what we offer those who mourn, those who are sick and dying, those who are questioning, those who are discouraged. It is a humble, human-sized imitation of Christ, who walks beside us, empowering us with unutterable love. Phil Hines tells the humorous story about Jesus walking along a road one day and seeing a man crying. When asked what was wrong, the man replied, “I’m blind” so Jesus healed him. Further on down the road he met another man in tears and asked him the same question as the other man. He replied, “I’m lame”, so Jesus healed him. Then Jesus encountered another man weeping. In response to Jesus’ question he said, “I’m a pastor.” So Jesus sat down next to him and wept right along with him. He who walks beside us, knows our needs.
Jesus has entered into the journey with us, he is our traveling buddy, he goes everywhere we go. We also have each other, the church, God's children. As God's children we stand beside each other, and beside Christ who has promised to be our buddy on the journey even when the others leave. When we stand at Jesus' side like a little child, we find our protection, and validation, and our TRUE identity.
Should we ever stray from his side he comes after us. John Donne's "Holy Sonnet XIV" a prayer to which the speaker urges God to wrest him from the enemy who has captured him in battle and holds him with a grip that only God is able to break. It is up to God to win the battle, and to win us. As humans it is impossible for us to win the battle against evil, Christ must do it for us. I am reminded of the song, "In Christ Alone," where "no power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck us from his hand!" I love John 3:17 "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." He came to win the world. The theological truth is that Jesus as accomplished my justification and "won" my salvation. The day we were saved, was the day Jesus died! All we have to do is accept Him, Jesus, as our personal Lord and Savior. "as He stands in victory sin's curse has lost its grip on me, for I am His and He is mine - bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath. Jesus commands my destiny." "Christ to win me" leaves room for questioning about when and how the winning takes place. Christ has won me, He continues to win me, and does battle for me daily. AMEN!
Our creator delights in his creation, He desires us, and calls us His friends. He is the one who finds us, wins us, and prepares a home for us, and gathers us up into his care. Oddly, we are His prize. We've been chosen like the disciples; we've been fought for, worked for, wooed, and won! We have been called by name, and we are his!
Christ beside me, Christ to win me.
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