This original spoken word theology was written and performed for New Life Church on Good Friday (April 2, 2021).
Creation’s Fall
In the beginning, when God breathed (Gen 1:1), “Let mountains be!” He brought them forth (Ps 90:2) in forms of highest heights Arising from dry land (Ps 65:6) Like sands of grain which weighed As naught within his hand (Isa 40:12). And so, with spoken word, The Maker molded mountains in a moment, Such that those mighty heights were his Whose hands had hewn dry ground (Ps 95:4-5; Amos 4:13): Each hill, a mound of God-breathed earth Receding from that jewel of worth: Mount Eden (Ezek 28:13-16; 43:12; see Gen 2:10-14). Yet when that glorious garden fell In sin, mankind no longer dwelt In Eden, guarded by God’s cherubim With gleaming blades ablaze (Gen 3:24) Until the day when he upraised Unmoving mountainous foundations (Ps 104:5-9; Isa 40:4), Crashing down his cragged creation (Ps 97:5; Nah 1:5). As the flooded, foaming seas Flowed higher than entire peaks Until the ark, on Ararat, found rest in peace (Gen 8:1-5). And Noah put his best foot down Upon dry ground (Gen 8:14-19) Atop the floundering grave below. By favor, saved from judgment’s blow (Gen 6:5-8). But then, O brick-built Babel, Mountain made by man to make a name (Gen 11:1-9), Ascending frame-by-frame Yet gaining only shame, Its foremost fame belied its prideful fall Like all mankind No longer claiming likeness with his God (Gen 1:26-27).
Grace & Law
Therefore, the One who destines death Designed a test For one old man who rested on his only hope Before ascent against Moriah’s slope (Gen 22:1-14) To die one faithful footfall at a time, And wait for God to sound the sign To cut off Laughter in his prime: His son, his one and only son, he loved. Yet from above, he heard that word of grace Which turned his tearful face up toward the sky And pried his clinging fingers from the knife. God stayed his hand from taking life. By grace, he spared his son’s fair price. And in his place, he sacrificed a ram. Then high on Horeb’s holy peak, Meek Moses spied a shrub that burned But did not turn to stubs of ash (Exod 3:1-2; 19:11). Upon this mount, Elijah, too, would meet with God (1 Kgs 19:1-18) Not in the quake or in the wind, But in the gentle whisper calling him, “Take up your task to seek my face And speak again my word of grace.” So God-sent Moses freed the slaves And saved them from Egyptian graves Through walls of sea to Sinai’s base Where God, in grace, laid down the Law (Exod 19-20) Atop his awe-filled, fiery mount (Ps 36:6). Yet fallen Israel could not count to ten (Exod 31:18) And ended with God’s anger on their heads. Instead of saving hope (Rom 8:3), God’s Law gave only rope enough To hang them dangling from their bluff.
The Temple on the Mount
Thus, God watched his blessed fall From Gerizim to cursed Ebal (Deut 27:11-13). Yet hope was mounting on Moriah (2 Chr 3:1) In the promise of Messiah Who, in that rightful site, would reign In grace, and place his name Of peace, atop of Mount Jeru-shalem: Astounding city in its station (Ps 87:1-3), Towering tall in elevation Over all the kneeling nations (Ps 48:1-2). For who can stand with unstained hands (Pss 15:2-5; 24:4)? What man can claim God’s holy hill (Pss 15:1; 24:3) While bringing songs of longing still (Pss 120-134)? To Israel’s festive feasts until We hear the hills a-ringing peace And singing, as in Eden still. If man does not, then mountains will (Isa 55:12) Delight to drink their fill of praise. Then the Word who placed the palisades (John 1:1-3), Unfurled the world, and speckled space With stars he knew by name (Ps 147:4), Became a man: With face of flesh—that temple tented to dry land (John 1:14a; 2:19-22) And splendid with all truth and grace (John 1:14b) To stand-in for God’s hand-picked nation, Standing fixed against temptation (Matt 4:8; Luke 4:5). And transfigured into glory (Matt 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36) Fulfilling Moses’ and Elijah’s story (Luke 24:25-27, 44-45) As his Father’s voice rejoices From his joyous throne above, “My Son, my one and only Son, I love.”
Law & Grace
So to the world, the Word unfurled A sermon on a humble hill (Matt 5-7) To hew the heart from hardened will: No man still stands before the Lord (Job 41:10), For all fall short (Rom 3:23) As when the court of Law implores The cold refrain: “No man abstains from sin” (Rom 3:10-12). Like Eden’s fall, then in the flood Man trampled, in the mud, God’s name And Babeled blame for bad behaving. Depraved indeed; Deprived of shame; And fully dead, in need of saving (Eph 2:1-3). So to the cross, God sent his Son His one and only Son, he lost and lent to death (John 3:16) With final breath and blood outpoured Our Savior bore God’s wrath in full (1 Thess 5:9) Upon Golgotha’s skulking skull. Yet unlike upon Moriah, This Messiah took our place (2 Cor 5:21) Like Moses, mixing law with grace. A saving flood, his blood outpoured (Rom 5:9), On Calvary, his cross, he bore Our losses to the grave (1 Pet 2:24).
Restoration’s Rise
Yet three days dead, his life God raised (1 Cor 15:3-4) Ascending in victorious praise. And in his glorious resurrection We discern a dim reflection (1 Cor 13:12) Of new life through Christ’s conception (1 Pet 1:3-4). As he musters mustard-faith (Matt 17:20), He moves our mounting hate-filled hearts And sets our souls apart from sin To justify our trust in him (Rom 5:1). Raised up then in latter days, The church will praise The epic apex of his grace When he holds sway in holy Zion As both Lion and the Lamb (Rev 5:1-10); The great I AM, Who bids the grateful, “Come,” into his faithful city (Zech 8:3; Phil 3:20; Heb 12:18-24; 13:14). As all nations flow to find him (Isa 2:2b-3; Mic 4:1-2) When good news goes out from Zion (Isa 40:9). Then Christ will cry from heaven above, “You are my brethren, whom I love (Ps 125:2). So come, surmount my holy hill (Isa 2:2a), Announcing still that God will reign (Isa 52:7) And claim all glory til His storied name has been restored And he regains the fame that fell Before the broken world rebelled Before the spoken Word beheld The mountain of the Lord. O, come Unto the mountain Of the Lord!
