Songs for Good Friday

Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified

Follow Christ to the holy mountain
Sinner sorry and wrecked by the fall
Cleanse your heart and your soul
In the fountain that flowed
For you and for me and for all

CHORUS:
At the wonderful, tragic, mysterious tree
On that beautiful, scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful, scandalous night

On the hillside, you will be delivered
At the foot of the cross justified
And your spirit restored
By the river that poured
From our blessed Savior's side

CHORUS

Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified

This has been in my head all week. "Beautiful Scandalous Night" was a favorite song of the West Merritts worship team, especially connecting it with communion and/or baptism. I still hear Gaines' voice in my head everytime I sing it (even if he isn't playing it on his guitar in the next room!). Little did I know before Googling the lyrics that it was covered by both Smalltown Poets and Bebo Norman, two of my longtime favorite Christian artists. That's how far out of the Contemporary Christian Music loop I am.

I feel the lyrics are particularly appropriate for Good Friday, the day in the liturgical calendar in which we remember Christ's sufferings on the cross. There are other, older hymns that come to mind as well, like this one, recently reworked and sung by Sandra McCracken on Indelible Grace 3: For All the Saints:

O come and mourn with me awhile,
O come ye to the Savior’s side
O come, together let us mourn,
Jesus our Lord is crucified.

2. Seven times He spake seven words of love;
And all three hours His silence cried
For mercy on the souls of men;
Jesus our Lord is crucified.

Chorus: O love of God! O sin of man!
In this dread act Your strength is tried;
And victory remains with love;
Jesus our Lord is crucified!

3. O break, O break, hard heart of mine!
Thy weak self-love and guilty pride
His Pilate and His Judas were:
Jesus our Lord is crucified.

4. A broken heart, a fount of tears,
Ask, and they will not be denied;
A broken heart love’s cradle is:
Jesus our Lord is crucified.
(Repeat chorus)

Tag: And victory remains with love;
Jesus our Lord is crucified!

I've forgotten how important music is to my spiritual health. If I don't sing favorite hymns or songs regularly (as in, more than once a week at church), I become somewhat sullen. We've recently started singing the Doxology at night before J's bedtime, and it has made my heart glad.

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