{"id":5174,"date":"2016-10-31T11:18:57","date_gmt":"2016-10-31T17:18:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.podles.org\/dialogue\/?p=5174"},"modified":"2016-11-01T06:34:26","modified_gmt":"2016-11-01T12:34:26","slug":"mount-calvary-music-for-november-6-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.podles.org\/dialogue\/mount-calvary-music-for-november-6-2016-5174.htm","title":{"rendered":"Mount Calvary: Music for November 6, 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"mount-calvary-modern-front\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Mount Calvary Church<\/span><\/p>\n

Eutaw St.and Madison St.<\/span><\/p>\n

Baltimore<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hymn: The Son of God Goes Forth to War<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The Son of God goes forth to war
\nA kingly crown to gain.
\nHis blood-red banner streams afar;
\nWho follows in His train?
\nWho best can drink His cup of woe,
\nTriumphant over pain,
\nWho patient bears his cross below–
\nHe follows in His train.<\/p>\n

The Son of God Goes Forth to War<\/em> was written by Reginald Heber (1783-1826), Anglican Bishop of Calcutta for the feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr. It alludes to Rev. 6: 2: And I saw, and behold, a white horse: and He that sat on him had a bow, and a crown (<\/em>Greek: stephanos) was given unto him; and He went forth conquering, and to conquer.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"st-stephen-rubens\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Rubens: The Martyrdom of St. Stephen<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Stephen is also referred to in the second stanza.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The martyr first whose eagle eye
\nCould pierce beyond the grave,
\nWho saw His Master in the sky
\nAnd called on Him to save.
\nLike Him, with pardon on His tongue,
\nIn midst of mortal pain,
\nHe prayed for them that did the wrong–
\nWho follows in his train?<\/p>\n

The martyr is the Christian most closely conformed to Christ by sharing in his sufferings and death. Like Jesus, the martyr prays that those who kill him be forgiven. The twentieth century saw more martyrs than all the previous centuries as Christians were killed in Spain, Germany, the Soviet Union, and other Communist countries. The twenty-first century has seen thousands of Christian men, women, and children beaten to death, decapitated, crucified, or burned alive solely because they were Christians. It puts our sufferings, as serious as they sometimes are, into perspective. They are a small sharing in the One Sacrifice.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A noble army, men and boys,
\nThe matron and the maid,
\nAround the Savior’s throne rejoice,
\nIn robes of light arrayed.
\nThey climbed the steep ascent of heav’n
\nThro’ peril, toil, and pain.
\nO God, to us may grace be giv’n
\nTo follow in their train!<\/p>\n

The hymn was sung as the body of Florence Nightingale was lowered into the grave because of its reference to sacrifice. The hymn is rarely sung (and is not in the 1982 Episcopal Hymnal<\/em>) because of its reference to warfare. But in spiritual warfare victory is obtained not by killing but by dying. The Christian, following Jesus, conquers by sacrificing his or her life for others.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"the-man-who-would-be-king-film\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The hymn was sung in the 1975 film<\/a> The Man Who Would Be King<\/em> (based on Rudyard Kipling\u2019s story) to the tune of The Minstrel Boy<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is another setting : harder to sing, but a powerful melody.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n