scripture and prayer reflection
Click HERE to listen to the song on Spotify
Lyrics
In love, in love
In life, in love
In You, in love
In death, my love
In time, in love
In place, in love
In form, in love
In death, my love
My God, my love
My life, my love
Is Yours, my love
My bride, my love
This cross, my love
Is mine, my love
To bear, my love
To die, my love
This cup, my love
This bread, my love
My life, my love
Is yours, my love
Come drink, my love
My blood, my love
My life, my love
In death, my love
My God, my love
My life, my love
Is Yours, my love
My bride, my love
This cross, my love
Is mine, my love
To bear, my love
It's time, my love
John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Psalm 136:23-26
23 He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
24 and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Reflection
Real love is not just a Hollywood-esque, happy-go-lucky, warm and fuzzy feeling. Love is not just the feeling of “being in love”, but also a commitment and a choice. It is shown and expressed in all sorts of large and small acts, both dramatic and mundane. It is sometimes costly, and being willing to bear that cost is a large part of truly loving another person.
Much like Psalm 136, this song repetitively links everything back to the love of God, meditating on the depth and scope of His commitment to us and what that means for our lives. Beauty lies in its minimalist simplicity, both in melody and in lyrics, lending the song a focused clarity. The somber tone set by the minor key and the distinctive, percussive Chinese guzheng instrument makes this meditation not an effusive, heartwarming display of feeling, but a stark and steady look at God’s willingness to bear the cost to gain us back.
Written from the perspective of God speaking to us as His beloved bride, we get a sense of the seriousness of His commitment to us in the invitation to join in His body by partaking of the cup and the bread, in the offering of His life for ours, and in the embracing of the cross for our sake. The somber and almost mournful tone is an invitation to our hearts to consider the depth of sacrifice offered on our behalf, and the powerful, steady, committed, undying love that drove it.
Spend some time sitting with God’s heart for you as expressed in this song. What is it like to sit with a reminder of God’s love that is more serious in tone, rather than one overflowing with happiness? What emotions does it stir in you to reflect on Christ’s sacrifice and His love in this way? How would you like to respond to the invitation He offers in His love for you? Talk with God about what comes up.