Click here for Part 1 in this series on Only Your Blood Is Enough.

If you were like me, the first time I found myself singing Only Your Blood Is Enough, I immediately thought, “What on earth am I singing about?” Bleeding birds? Bleeding beasts? Hyssop branch? What in the world is a hyssop branch? To begin to understand this song, we have to go back to Psalm 51:1-19.

David composed this psalm/prayer after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his adultery with Bathsheba, and his subsequent murder of her husband, Uriah. And even though the the situation that led to this particular psalm was intensely personal, the psalm as we have it today is meant to be sung as the gathering of worshipping Christians confess their sins.

Listen to Paul David Tripp explain Psalm 51:7, and unpack the significance of hyssop, in his book Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy:

It seems such a strange request from a man who’s in the throes of grief over sins that he can’t deny and can’t take back. I would propose to you that it was exactly the right thing for David and each of us to pray whenever we’re confronted with our sins. But when you first read the word in Psalm 51, it does make you wonder, “What in the world is hyssop?”

Researching the plant won’t give you much help. It produces a delicate white flower and is thought by some to have medicinal qualities. But this is one time that wikipedia.com won’t help you. What you really need to know, in order to understand the grieving in David’s request, is Old Testament history. David’s mind goes to that original Passover, when the firstborn of Egypt were stricken dead and the houses of Israel that had blood on the door frames, were passed over. What does this have to do with David’s request? Here it is. God directed the Israelites to take a branch of hyssop and dip it in blood and paint the door frames with it.

Here is David, grieved by his sin and bowed before God between the “already” and the “not yet.” Already the blood of the first Passover had protected Israel from death and made their exodus to freedom and the land of promise possible. Already the Mosaic system of constant animal-blood sacrifices covered the sins of God’s people. But the promised Lamb had not yet come. Not yet had his blood been spilt, once and for all, in the final moment of sacrifice that forever ended any need for further sacrifice.

So, reflecting on the past, David’s words actually reach into the future. They form the ultimate backdrop to the future prayer. For embedded in this cry for cleansing that remembers the spilt blood of deliverance (Passover) and the shed blood of forgiveness (Mosaic sacrifices), David cries for the one thing that anyone who acknowledges his sin will cry for; cleansing.

When your sin really does become ugly to you, when it produces pain in your heart and sickness in your stomach, you celebrate forgiveness, but you want something more. You want to be clean. You long to be once and for all purified from all sin whatsoever. You want your sin to be once and for all washed away. You want to be free of every dark residue of sinful thought, desire, word, or deed.

Yes, you’ll love the fact that you can stand before God dirty and unafraid because of his comprehensive and freely given grace. You’ll love the fact that his forgiveness of you has been full and complete. But you’ll grow tired of needing and seeking forgiveness. You’ll mourn the hold that sin has on you. You’ll be frustrated with the way that sin seems to infect everything you do. And you’ll begin to plead for what the blood of Jesus alone is able to do; wash away your sin! In this moment of need and helplessness, you’ll cry, “Purge me with hyssop Lord, dip the branch of your grace into the blood of your Son and cleanse me once and for all!”

You can listen to Only Your Blood Is Enough below by clicking the video, and you can purchase and download the song by clicking here.

We don’t often stop to think about how strange it sounds that we as Christians talk about blood so much. I’m sure to many, it must seem so primitive, so superstitious, to talk about blood cleansing us from our sin. We can’t seriously believe in that kind of mythical science fiction, can we? Yet, Scripture again and again talks about blood being the only sufficient offering for sin.

In the Old Testament, when God first brought Israel ought of slavery, he ordered that a unblemished lamb be slain and the blood of that lamb be put on the doorposts in order to protect them from the plague he was about to bring on all the Egyptian firstborn. He then ordained a sacrificial system for Israel in which they could make atonement, or be made one with God again, through offering goats, bulls and such, spilling their blood on the altar. Why blood though? In Scripture, blood is equated with the life of a creature. The imagery of blood sacrifice means that a life has been taken in order to pay a penalty. The blood isn’t magical. Rather, it conveys the seriousness of sin. When the infinite God’s glory is dishonored by His image-bearers, the offense is infinite. The cost is death, as God promised Adam and Eve in Genesis 2. Sin equals separation from God, which is, eternally, death. There is no way around this reality. Yet, God, in his great mercy, went to great lengths to undo the separation brought on by our sin. The Old Testament sacrifices served as a consistent reminder to Israel that their sin must be dealt with. God could not merely overlook it. But it was also clear that the life-exchange of animals for the sin of man was not sufficient to deal with the stain of sin. As the writer of Hebrews unpacks for us, these sacrifices were not sufficient to “purify the conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:14)

The Old Testament sacrifices instead pointed to the greater reality: the sacrifice of Christ himself on the cross. The perfect, infinite sacrifice of Jesus (fully man and fully God) was the only sacrifice able to truly deal with the penalty and power of sin. Again, as the writer of Hebrews says, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). With Christ, on the other hand, “by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). With the shedding of Jesus’ blood, the perfect life was given to atone for our sins. His life for ours. God’s justice was satisfied, so that he could see us and make us pure and clean. This is our only hope.

So we are a people “washed in the blood of the lamb.” We need to rejoice in this truth, celebrate it, and remind each other of it. Because ultimately, we attempt to cover our sin in countless other ways. Adam and Eve took fig leaves for themselves in the garden, and we have repeated this behavior ever since. The more we understand the sufficiency of Christ’s blood, the less we will give in to the temptation to perform for God and each other. We will rest, knowing that our penalty is paid and our new life is bought by Jesus’s blood, the only thing that will cover us when we stand before God.

This Sunday we will be introducing a new song to our Sunday gathering entitled Only Your Blood Is Enough. It is a reworking of an old Isaac Watts text, and is featured on the Sojourn Music album Over the Grave. The song reminds us that it is only the sacrifice of Christ that makes us able to stand before God. And that sacrifice removes all shame and enables us to stand boldly before him, clothed in righteousness. Here are the lyrics:

I am ashamed, conceived in sin, I’ve always been
Born in a world where Adam’s fall corrupts us
Rooted is the seed of death in life’s first breath
The law demands a perfect heart, but I’m defiled in every part

For only Your blood is enough to cover my sin
Only Your blood is enough to cover me

All this guilt disturbs my peace; I find no release
Who will save me from my crime? I’m helpless
Behold, I fall before Your face in need of grace
So speak to me in a gentle voice, for in Your mercies I rejoice

Lord, create my heart anew (Father, come and make us wise)
Only You are pure and true (Lead us away from our demise)
Lord, You are the remedy (For only your blood can set us free)
For only Your blood can set us free
Only Your blood can set us free

No bleeding bird, no bleeding beast
No hyssop branch, no priest,
No running brook, no flood, no sea
Can wash away this stain from me

I’m excited to sing this song together, as the lyrics capture just how deep our sin is rooted. We can’t understand why only Jesus’ blood can cleanse us unless we see how deep the stain really is. As the lyrics proclaim, the seed of death is in us from the moment we begin our lives. We need the perfect sacrifice to deal with the sin that is woven in to the fabric of our being. You can listen to Only Your Blood Is Enough below by clicking the video, and you can purchase and download the song by clicking here. Let’s ready our hearts to proclaim this to one another as we walk through this season of Lent together, culminating in the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior.

Click here for Part 2 in this series on Only Your Blood Is Enough.

The Psalter gives us ample instruction in how to come before God in a proper way, bearing the frequent suffering which this world brings upon us. Serious illness and severe loneliness before God and men, threat, persecution, imprisonment, and whatever conceivable peril there is on earth are known by the Psalms. They do not deny it or try to deceive us about it with pious words. They allow it to stand as a severe attack on the faith. Occasionally they no longer focus on suffering, but they all complain to God. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible, 46-47.

I think a lot about our congregation. I think about how diverse we are generationally, and I thank God for not only the older saints he has placed in our midst, but the younger ones who stream in every week. I think about how diverse we are racially, and I thank God that He is building a church where we can truly say, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).”

A vision that I keep coming back to for our Sunday gatherings comes from the vision that we are given of heaven in Revelation by John; one where every nation is assembled before the throne of God, offering up praise (Revelation 5:13; 7:9-10). In thinking about this incredible display of worship, I move to perhaps what all of Redemption Hill might look like, and sound like, worshipping before the throne of God. Old, young, black, and white. This has lead me to much personal, and musical, soul-searching as I pray and reflect upon this.

One idea that I have spent a great deal of time exploring is this: What if the way forward musically was actually a looking back to the old gospel music that permeated many of the churches in the South, particularly Richmond? Music of The Staple Singers, Mahalia Jackson, and Edwin Hawkins to name a few. Music birthed not only out of spirituals, suffering, and “the blues,” but out of a hope that Christ alone would save. This music had a broad appeal among both black and white churches, and still does today. A book that I recently picked up on the subject was Getting the Blues: What Blues Music Teaches Us About Suffering and Salvation by Stephen J. Nichols. The book was extremely helpful for me in dealing with this subject, and seems particularly appropriate during this Lenten season.

I don’t want to review Nichols opus as much as I would rather commend it to you, and wet your appetite for it, as there are already some great reviews out there, including Thabiti Anyabwile’s wonderful review at The Gospel Coalition blog. The book is a musical journey through the early 20th century Mississippi Delta, looking at a “theology in the minor key,” the blues. Too many American Christians, Nichols writes, live life as though it is always “spring and summer without winter or fall. Or always Easter and never Good Friday” (14). Nichols states that this kind of attitude is simplistic and naive at best, borderline blasphemous at worst. This is because it is a rejection of the experience and intent of Jesus Christ, who, though fully God, left the spring and summer of heaven to take on flesh, and dwell in the winter and fall of earthly life.

Nichols takes us on a tour of the world of the Delta Blues as well, introducing us to some of its key figures, including: Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Ma Rainey, Son House, and Charley Patton. I even find myself inspired to start nicknaming some of the people around here, even though blues nicknames tend to be a little repetitive (Blind Zach Banister, Blind Ryan Burns, and The Reverend Blind Robert Greene).

The blues is a congregation that sings on Saturday night in expectation of Sunday. (171)

Nichols wants us know that the blues are more than just music. They are a song of the human condition; physically, socially, and spiritually. They are a window into our depravity, and in it we feel the reaction of our soul to sin. The blues force us to deal with the realities of life. The woman who “done me wrong,” the death of friends, the allure of “the bottle”. Yet at the same time, while in the midst of dealing with so much trouble, the blues points us to the hope of things to come. That glorious Sunday morning when all will be made right, and salvation will surely come.

We American evangelicals are as likely as anybody to be missing something when it comes to a fuller view of life and humanity. In addition, we just might be overlooking something in the pages of scripture. C.S. Lewis wrote hauntingly of Narnia, where it was always winter and never Christmas. For many American evangelicals, life is like always having spring and summer without winter or fall.  Or always Easter and never Good Friday. Not everything, however – in life or in the Bible – plays out in a major key. (14)

This idea of a “theology in a minor key” is a theme that threads its way throughout the book. It lingers over the pain, suffering, and death of Jesus on the cross on Good Friday. It reminds us that our sin caused Jesus to be lashed by a whip, and then nailed to a cross. It doesn’t leave us without hope though, but rather points us to Easter morning. The day when all things were made new, including us. I’ll leave you with what I believe is the heart of the book, which is Nichol’s statement on the blue’s connection to Christ:

Well before the blues showed up, Christ inhabited Negro spirituals. According to “Daniel Saw the Stone,” Christ was the stone cut from the mountain without hands. He was the deliver, the one who could make a way out of nowhere. He was the good shepherd, restoring the lost sheep. When the blues came around, Christ remained. He bore the curse, he suffered exile and abandonement, he was the Man of Sorrows. The blues, like the writings of Flannery O’Connor, need not mention him in every line or in everty song, but he haunts the music just the same. At the end of the day, he resolves the conflict churning throughout the blues, the conflict that keeps the music surging like the floodwaters of the Mississippi River. Christ resolves the conflict precisely because he enters the conflict itself. He is Emmanuel, God with us, which ultimately makes him God for us. (15)

I can’t recommend this book enough, as in the end, it exposes us to more than just the blues music, but reveals the reason the blues exist. We are living in a painful and cursed world, awaiting the day when God will set all things right, but are also striving to change our world for the better in the meantime. God’s ways are difficult to understand, but He is still merciful and present. The blues are the truth of the curse of sin, but there is another truth present as well. The truth of grace, the truth of the cross, the truth of Jesus Christ who broke into the human condition, lived a human life and conquered death. Singing the blues means recognizing both these truths.

Next Wednesday, February 22nd, Redemption Hill will be observing Ash Wednesday together. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, and the season of Lent is a time to prepare for the celebration of our redemption and renewal through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Lent invites us to make our hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ passion and celebrating Jesus’ resurrection on Easter.

We are doing an Ash Wednesday service for a few reasons. First, we want to reflect on our sin and the resultant death that reigns in us, and our need for Jesus to save us. Second, we want to renew our commitment to daily repentance — to “die daily,” as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:31. Lastly, we want to remember and celebrate the fact that Christ conquered sin and death.

So why Is It called “Ash” Wednesday? And why do Christians put ashes on their heads? Ashes are a reminder, in Scripture, of our mortality and frailty resulting from the curse of the Fall (Genesis 3:19; 18:27). The Bible also uses ashes as a sign of sorrow and repentance for sin (2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1-3; Jeremiah 6:26). They are also a sign of both our mortality, and of our intention to die to old ways and live a new life in Christ. Putting ashes on your forehead in the sign of the cross is not some kind of magic charm. It is simply a visible reminder of our condition and the power of the cross to forever change that condition.

Here are the songs that we will sing together this on Ash Wednesday:

Our Ash Wednesday service will be Wednesday afternoon, February 22nd, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., at The 400. If you are planning on attending, please RSVP here and share the event with your friends, family, and neighbors. No childcare will be provided. Make plans now to join us over the lunch hour as we begin this holy season together by acknowledging our need for repentance and our need for the love and forgiveness shown to us in Jesus Christ.

Betty Bristol was, and still is, a great gift of God to Redemption Hill. Not only that, but we recognize that we are but one piece of the legacy that she leaves behind after her promotion to glory. Tomorrow, as family and friends, we will gather to remember and celebrate the grace of God shown to us in Betty Bristol.

Here are some details regarding the services tomorrow:

The Bristol’s will have a graveside service at Hollywood Cemetery tomorrow at 2:00 PM. Everyone is invited to attend this service. Please remember to arrive early as parking is not abundant in Hollywood Cemetery and you will most likely have to walk to get to the gravesite. MAP LINK

After the graveside service, at 3:30 PM, there will be a celebration of life service followed by a (in Betty’s words) party at The 400. Please be reminded that all parking at The 400 is street parking. For those among us who are younger and don’t have kids, please consider parking at the Patrick Henry School and walking to the the 400. Also, carpooling is a good idea for those who can. MAP LINK

Finally, we are in need of some men and women who can serve the Bristol family tomorrow. In particular, we are in need of greeter/ushers and parking attendants. If you can serve in this manner, please let me know as soon as possible (ryan AT redemptionhill DOT org or message me on the city).

Enjoy Grace.

Since the Bible does not directly address these questions, Christians and churches are free to recognize and celebrate the arrival of newborn children in any way that does not violate what is expressly commanded in Scripture.

At Redemption Hill we do not perform infant baptisms. Nor do we, in the strictest sense, dedicate anyone’s baby to the Lord; we leave that privilege and responsibility to our parents. In fact, the practice of churches dedicating babies to the Lord is usually supported from Luke 1:22, which says:

…When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord…

Notice, though, that it was Mary and Joseph who presented Jesus to the Lord, not the priests or the other officials in the Temple. In the same way, we acknowledge the right and the responsibility of our parents to present their own children to the Lord, and we intentionally create a few opportunities per year for them to do so in front of the entire church.

So what does Redemption Hill Church do?

As our parents come forward to present their children to the Lord, Redemption Hill Church commissions its parents to “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4), just as Paul commissioned the parents in Ephesus. That’s why we refer to this event as a Parent Commissioning.

So, for those of you who have recently experienced the blessing of a newborn child, we look forward to commissioning you as parents while you present your child to the Lord.

Our next Parent Commissioning will be Sunday, February 26, 2012. Please register below if you are interested in participating.

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You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever! – Psalm 30:11-12

Last Sunday we introduced a song to our Sunday gathering entitled 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin. It is featured on the 10,000 Reasons album by Matt Redman. Inspired by Psalm 103:1-22, this modern hymn speaks of how there are (even much more than) 10,000 reasons for our soul to bless the Lord, and encourages us to respond greatly to the greatness of our God. If this passage of scripture sounds familiar, it’s because we looked in depth at Psalm 103:1-22 this past summer when we sang Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, by Joachim Neander. 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord), like the Psalm it is based on, reminds us of the joy that comes from encouraging our souls to praise the Lord:

This encouraging of ourselves was seen before in Psalm 103:1-22 as David encouraged his soul to speak wonderful things about the Lord, and to meditate on all of the great benefits that He had bestowed upon him. Our aim in worship must be the same. We should always be striving to exhort our souls to enjoy God with all that we are, and to meditate on His goodness and the benefits that He has given to us. Our praise to the Lord should be total – giving God our all in our worship. May our thoughts meditate on His goodness; may our mouths speak of His grace towards us, and may our hearts enjoy the rest and satisfaction that only He can give to our souls. – Rayshawn Graves from Praise to the Lord, the Almighty: Amen: Verse 5

Here are the lyrics:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great, and your heart is kind
For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near, and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

For further information on the story behind the album 10,000 Reasons, and the song 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord), check out the video below by Matt Redman. You can also purchase and download the song by clicking here. I pray that thinking and singing about the benefits of God’s goodness toward us will make us eager to bless his holy name!