Stonybank Community Church with Pastor James Carroll

Hymn story by Eloise with Everett on the saxophone

The first half of the chapter is prayer in the suffering Christ (vv.1-21). This second half of the chapter is praise in the glorified Christ (vv.22-31).  If prayer does not turn our heart toward the will of God, praise will never follow.  This Psalm was perhaps quoted in its entirety from the cross, which concludes.

Our bell choir playing the newly refurbished bells for the offertory on Easter Sunday

Compiled and shared by Jean Loggia.

Psalm 22 is called “The Psalm of the Cross” because it is the single most comprehensive description of crucifixion in all of scripture·  In this "forgotten I Am" Ps.22:6 says I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.  You may not like singing about yourself as a worm but that is the image necessary for Christ to identify himself with us.  Christ did not become a sinner such as I, He became a worm just like you and just like me.  And the tree of life we will see one day in Heaven will be the old, rugged, blood-stained cross upon which Jesus died.

The story told by Eloise who played and sung by Joe C. and Mitch G.

"The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious" wrote Albert Einstein.  Be careful about trying to reduce everything about God to the known.  The mysterious, wondrous, secret things belong to God (Deut.29:29).  

Eloise and Joanne playing

Story of the hymn and offertory with Eloise on the piano.

O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth.  The second most important question in all of scripture, what is man? Ps.8:4  Made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor and made to have dominion.  "Nowhere is man's dignity asserted more clearly and boldly than in this passage" (Leupold)  Yet that is man before sin and this then is a Messianic Psalm of when Christ will restore order.