Today, we’re delighted to welcome guest writer and previous ESN Associate Director Micheal Hickerson. Micheal did a great deal to grow ESN. Although he’s moved on to different career commitments, we’re always delighted to share his thoughts with Christian scholars. In this Scholar’s Compass post, he reflects on the Baptism of the Lord. Next Sunday he’ll share some further new year’s reflections. If you’d like to explore more of Mike’s work, including his extremely popular March Madness showdown posts on the Best Christian Book of All Time, click here. If you’re new to Scholar’s Compass, it’s our ongoing online devotional for academics. Launched in 2014, Scholar’s Compass has proved to be one of ESN’s most popular and enduring features. Click here to access the collection of Scholar’s Compass posts we’ve built over the past years. [Read more…] about The Baptism of the Lord (Scholar’s Compass)
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Epiphany Hymn: Hail to the Lord’s Anointed
A Hymn for Epiphany
Hail to the Lord’s Anointed,
great David’s greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed,
his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
to set the captive free;
to take away transgression,
and rule in equity.
He comes with succor speedy
to those who suffer wrong;
to help the poor and needy,
and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing,
their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying,
are precious in his sight.
He shall come down like showers
upon the fruitful earth;
love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
spring in his path to birth.
Before him on the mountains,
shall peace, the herald, go,
and righteousness, in fountains,
from hill to valley flow.
To him shall prayer unceasing
and daily vows ascend;
his kingdom still increasing,
a kingdom without end.
The tide of time shall never
his covenant remove;
his name shall stand forever;
that name to us is love.
—James Montgomery, via Hymnary, https://www.hymnary.org/text/hail_to_the_lords_anointed
On this Sunday after Epiphany, may Christ’s Kingdom be present to you. May we all worship Christ unceasingly this year, joining with the saints and angels in their praise to the One who is just and merciful day after day, strong to save the weak and needy, and forever faithful to His covenant. —ESN Staff
Image: He, Qi. The Song of Angels, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=46122 [retrieved December 1, 2016]. Original source: heqigallery.com.