ORSBORNAGAIN (29)
A devotional series by Major Rob Birks
ORSBORNAGAIN is meant to introduce the poetry of the first Poet General, Albert Orsborn (1886-1967) to a new audience and to reintroduce his works to dyed-in-the-(tropical)-wool Salvationists.
These are not new songs.
However, the lyrics are jam-packed with new life, which may be missed during corporate worship. Re-examined through scripture and experience, Rob Birks intends through an examination of these scared songs to renew the spiritual fervor of believers, and point seekers to their Savior.
In the shadow of the cross
Side by side with bitter loss,
Bloomed a garden, passing fair,
And they laid the Saviour there.
Sad, they thought his day was done,
But, afar, his rising sun
Flung a quenchless ray across
To the garden near the cross.
Not for long the grave prevailed;
When the dreary night had paled
Into God’s appointed day,
Angels rolled the stone away.
Christ, the Lord of truth and might,
Faring forth in robes of light,
Drove the fearful shades of loss
From the garden near the cross.
Jesus, give to us to know:
Though in loneliness we sow,
We shall pluck the fairest flower
In the sacrificial hour.
Sorrow hides beneath her wings
Recompense for sufferings,
And the blessing waits for us
In the garden near the cross.
Albert Orsborn
145 The Lord Jesus Christ – Resurrection and Ascension – not in 2015 edition of The Salvation Army Songbook
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:10-11).
When I was a kid, my friends and I loved to play “war” and “cops and robbers” (and sometimes “Starsky and Hutch”). After running around, jumping over (low) hedges, and hiding behind trees, somebody had to “die.” Since we used toy guns or fingers, general consensus decided who had to play dead and who lived to rob another bank, fight another battle, or catch another bad guy. Obviously, nobody wanted to be the first to go, but invisible force shields only work for so long. With daylight fleeting, homework to do, and dinner to eat, no one had to play dead for more than a few minutes.
Speaking of playing dead, every once in a while I am reminded of a Jon Lovitz “Saturday Night Live” character from the late 80s. The sketch was called “Master Thespian.” Lovitz dressed in a silky robe and an ascot, spoke loudly with an over-the-top Shakespearean accent, and displayed his dramatic prowess for all to see (and hear). Inevitably during the sketch, the master thespian would “die” a dramatic death, only to “resurrect” with a victorious shout of “Acting!’ Even as I typed that description, hilarious memories flooded my mind. “Brilliant!”
A similar, more recent, example of a faked fatality and an unreal resurrection can be seen in the latest 007 movie, Skyfall. Early on in the film Daniel Craig, as James Bond, is shot by friendly fire (my least favorite oxymoron), which came at the order of M, Bond’s boss and mentor. Bond is presumed dead, but (SPOILER ALERT) he isn’t. When he hears that MI6 has been hit, he returns to offer his (secret) services to M and to his country. Not long after that, he meets his nemesis, former MI6 agent Raoul Silva, played by the awesomely creepy Javier Bardem. This great dialogue takes place in that scene:
Bond: Everybody needs a hobby.
Silva: So what’s your hobby?
Bond: Resurrection.
Faking death and resurrection is all fun and games for kids playing outside or for a comedian on a comedy show. It can add to the tension and excitement of an action movie. Spiritually speaking, however, death can’t be faked. Well, actually it can, but there is no real resurrection without an actual death. In these words from Orsborn we see that same truth. The resurrection of Jesus would not be that big of a deal if he hadn’t actually died. I know that statement sounds elementary, but it’s crucial for us to believe. If we’re to be Christlike, the same is true for us; there is no real resurrection without an actual death.
Too many Christians are lacking the resurrection power purchased for and promised to every Jesus follower, by Jesus himself. Why are we lacking it? To paraphrase James 4:2, we have not because we die not. Playing dead and faking resurrection is simple. Attend church regularly. Tithe. Dress up. Say the right things, know the right people, and sing the right songs. Like the kid and the comedian, playing dead can be fun and funny. Like the secret agent, resurrection can be like any other hobby.
Thankfully, there is another way, a better way, the Jesus way. The apostle Paul makes it clear that we have a share in resurrection if we have a share in crucifixion: For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his (Rom. 6:5).
And the blessing waits for us
In the garden near the cross