For two weeks now I have been attending the Morrison Heights College Choir called "Hesed" (pronounced "hess-said"), the Hebrew word for lovingkindness. The following is a good, working definition of hesed: "the consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, constantly-pursuing, lavish, extravagant, unrestrained, furious love of our Father God". Now that I have explained the meaning of the word, every week the choir becomes more and more of an awesome experience for me. The music minister, John Langworthy, directs, but more so inspires the choir by including everyone and applying the message of the music we sing to everyday life. Here are some lyrics to one song we sing that has impacted me:
Out of ashes prayers are lifted
From the weary mourners call
Broken hearts are being mended
Jesus' stripes can heal them all
Out of ashes into freedom
Out of dying into life
See the joy that's set before us
In the blinding cross of Christ
Out of ashes sinners' finding
Mercy hope and righteousness
Revel in their new found passion
Worshiping in thankfulness
Out of ashes He is risen
Seated with the heavenly hosts
Clouds of witnesses are praising
Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Broken hearts are being mended
Jesus' stripes can heal them all
Out of ashes into freedom
Out of dying into life
See the joy that's set before us
In the blinding cross of Christ
Mercy hope and righteousness
Revel in their new found passion
Worshiping in thankfulness
Out of ashes He is risen
Seated with the heavenly hosts
Clouds of witnesses are praising
Father, Son and Holy Ghost
This song has spoken to me in ways that I could never understand. I believe that God had a plan for me when I decided one Sunday night to go and get involved in the choir. But not only that, this song showed me how as Christians we should strive to leave our "ashes" behind and focus on God's eternal plan for our lives. We all have ashes in our lives. Those things that we try to escape from, by moving away from a certain place, or trying to change an area in our lives. But God is the only one who can completely erase those ashes, all we have to do is humble
ourselves and turn to Him. Once we can recognize our bondage in sin, Christ redeems us by taking our chains upon Himself and we are set free.
Do you recognize those chains and those ashes that keep weighing you down in your spiritual life with Christ? Accept the fact that you can't redeem yourself, that you can't go on living like this. Accept the love of Christ, "hesed", His true lovingkindness. It is this love, demonstrated through the life and death of our Savior Jesus Christ, that has the power to shape our lives and make us who we are today -- a people filled with joy and confidence who know the source of life and who are living lives that have been unchained, and redeemed.
