empty_tomb_1

I’m a church organist, so this past week was a bit busy – two services on Palm Sunday, one on Maundy Thursday, and one yesterday on Easter. Of course, I always try to pick music that goes with the sermon and the season. Yesterday, I chose Variations on Now the Green Blade Riseth for my offertory. It’s a lovely tune, but there’s a Christmas carol that’s sung to the same melody, so my family was singing the Christmas carol all day. 🙁

Here are the lyrics to the Easter song. It’s in our hymnal, but it’s not one I ever remember singing in a service.

Now the Green Blade Riseth

Now the green blade riseth from the buried grain,
Wheat that in dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.

In the grave they laid him, love whom men had slain,
Thinking that never he would wake again.
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.

Forth he came at Easter, like the risen grain,
He that for three days in the grave had lain.
Quick from the dead my risen Lord is seen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.

When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Thy touch can call us back to life again;
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.

The United Methodist Church Discipleship Ministries comments, “The vivid imagery of the hymn is biblically based: John 12:23-24: ‘And Jesus answered them, saying, the hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.’ (KJV) In addition, 1 Corinthians 15:37-38 connects the image with the resurrection: ‘And that which sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.’ (KJV)

The connection of the Easter event – the rising of Jesus — is unmistakable. The simple phrase ‘Now the green blade riseth’ reminds us that Jesus is risen today just as he rose on that first Easter morning. In the third line, we find ‘Love’ being used as a metaphor for Jesus. We are now reminded why Jesus came to the earth in the first place: ‘For God so loved the world…’ (John 3:16). After speaking directly about Jesus’ death and resurrection, Crum turns to our lifetime struggles. In the fourth stanza, Crum emphasizes that no matter what we are going through, ‘Jesus’ touch can call us back to life again.'”

It’s a wonderful hymn with a full message.

This is my E post for the A to Z Blogging Challenge.

1 Comment

  • Arlee Bird

    I don’t remember that hymn. If it’s in the Methodist hymnal then we might have sung it since I grew up going to the Methodist church. In the church where I now attend we sing a lot of contemporary songs with an occasional classic hymn thrown in. We had a very light attendance for Easter service, but we have that every week.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    A Faraway View

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.