Touch

He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.”
—Mark 8:27-35

O Son of Man, come touch my mind
to think as you would do.
Let every falsehood fall behind
as I draw near to you.

O Word of heaven, touch my ears
to hear you speak my name.
Condemn me not for doubt or fear,
but call me out of shame.

O glorious healer, touch my eyes
to see as you have seen:
The cross becomes the tree of life
that grows on Calvary.

O carpenter, come touch my hands
to bear with you that cross,
to labor as your love demands
and not to count the cost.

O, touch my feet and bid me walk
where you have led the way,
and keep my steps on solid rock
though I may tread the waves.

O, come at last and touch my heart
that it may beat like yours,
and burning with the love of God 
may live forevermore.

Sopron ( Hungary ). Sopron Museum – Lapidarium: Grave monument for Salvius – detail: Tree of Life Photo By Wolfgang Sauber – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=95048844

Something New

He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
Mark 8:27-33

How could we know what “Christ” would mean
before you showed the way?
What could we think of but a king
to hold eternal sway?

It wasn't 'til you touched our ears
(since Eden, deaf to you)
that heart could grasp or we could hear
what you have done is new.

Our eyes could never see your face
until you opened them,
not just in healing but in grace,
in weeping at your end.

(How could we know of death's defeat
before you rose to show?
Not since the serpent spoke to Eve
was there aught else to know.)

Then touch our ears again today,
and give us eyes to see
there are new worlds in all you say,
new grace and mystery.

Our minds can know and hearts can feel—
if you have touched them, too—
beyond the lessons of the years,
you will do something new.

Full title: Christ appearing to Saint Peter on the Appian Way.Artist: Annibale Carracci.Date made: 1601-2.Source: http://www.nationalgalleryimages.co.uk/.Contact: picture.library@nationalgallery.co.uk..Copyright © The National Gallery, London

You Are the Long-Awaited Christ

He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.”
Mark 8:27-35

You are the long-awaited Christ,
and we would hail your name
not as the victim sacrificed,
but as the cleansing flame.

And yet you bid us speak no word
until your work is done,
lest all the joys of Christ the Lord
o'ershadow Christ the Son.

You will not shelter in our shouts
acclaiming you as Lord
until you are yourself cast out
and crowned with bloody thorns.

'Tis not the throne of David's reign
that marks you as our king,
but 'tis the bearing of your pain
that our salvation brings.

And you have bid us bear it, too,
the cross that is your throne,
until you come to make all new
and bring us safely home.

Then when we fall beneath its weight
and lose what made us proud,
and garner no reward but hate
or scorn before a crowd,

let us remember you as man,
not victor and not king,
who came to take the sinner's hand
and rules in everything.