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Lent is a time to reaffirm the once and for all nature of Christ's sacrifice for the sins of both the righteous and the unrighteous. But sometimes we unwittingly use hymns that contradict that scriptual declaration. One such hymn is James Russell Lowell's "Once to Every Man and Nation."
Lowell was not a hymnist nor, for that matter, even a church-affiliated Christian. He was unable to accept the dogmas of any church. This hymn was extracted by another writer from Lowell's long poem, "The Present Crisis," written as a protest against the Mexican War of 1846. It is social gospel, but it is not Christian gospel.
When Lowell writes about "some great cause, God's new messiah," one must ask whether or not this adequately describes the crucifixion as the epistle writer states it. The hymn is more an expression of personal opinion at a crucial time in American history than timeless doctrine
Yes, Lent is the time for every person and nation to decide, not about whether the first Messiah was sufficient for the tasks at hand, but rather about what was accomplished once for all, and then to proceed with humility and courage into the future.
-- Lincoln
Lent is a time to reaffirm the once and for all nature of Christ's sacrifice for the sins of both the righteous and the unrighteous. But sometimes we unwittingly use hymns that contradict that scriptual declaration. One such hymn is James Russell Lowell's "Once to Every Man and Nation."
Lowell was not a hymnist nor, for that matter, even a church-affiliated Christian. He was unable to accept the dogmas of any church. This hymn was extracted by another writer from Lowell's long poem, "The Present Crisis," written as a protest against the Mexican War of 1846. It is social gospel, but it is not Christian gospel.
When Lowell writes about "some great cause, God's new messiah," one must ask whether or not this adequately describes the crucifixion as the epistle writer states it. The hymn is more an expression of personal opinion at a crucial time in American history than timeless doctrine
Yes, Lent is the time for every person and nation to decide, not about whether the first Messiah was sufficient for the tasks at hand, but rather about what was accomplished once for all, and then to proceed with humility and courage into the future.
-- Lincoln
